Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Mount Isa Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Mount Isa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,910 in Melbourne versus $2,611 in Mount Isa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,408 in Melbourne versus $3,726 in Mount Isa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,905 in Melbourne versus $4,842 in Mount Isa.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than in Mount Isa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Mount Isa 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.41 A$25.66

$18.08 A$25.20

1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 A$121

$84.4 A$118

2.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.38

$10.84 A$15.11

14.94%

Cappuccino

$4.17 A$5.81

$4.13 A$5.76

0.97%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 A$4.40

$2.89 A$4.02

9.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 A$3.70

$2.32 A$3.24

14.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 A$14.01

$7.74 A$10.80

29.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 A$11.86

$7.37 A$10.28

15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.25

$1.71 A$2.38

-5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.58

$2.68 A$3.73

22.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$2.34 A$3.26

29.06%

Eggs

$6.00 A$8.36

$5.18 A$7.22

15.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.42

$9.28 A$12.94

19.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 A$13.83

$9.50 A$13.25

4.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 A$22.12

$15.17 A$21.15

4.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$3.70 A$5.16

19.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.49

$3.05 A$4.26

5.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.80

$3.37 A$4.70

2.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 A$6.85

$4.66 A$6.50

5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.37

$2.63 A$3.66

19.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.41 A$3.37

10.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 A$3.51

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.36

$1.70 A$2.37

-0.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.21 A$64.4

$39.80 A$55.5

16.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 A$17.54

$14.35 A$20.01

-12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.54

$5.02 A$6.99

7.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 A$5.62

$3.05 A$4.25

32.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$198

$86.7 A$121

63.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 A$6.56

$3.54 A$4.93

33.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.97

$1.60 A$2.24

-11.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.32 A$43.67

$41.86 A$58.4

-25.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$1.29 A$1.80

10.85%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.5K A$41.1K

$27.7K A$38.7K

6.18%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.0K A$37.6K

$31.3K A$43.7K

-13.98%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$239 A$334

$213 A$297

12.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.19 A$39.30

$28.25 A$39.38

-0.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 A$79.9

$57.0 A$79.5

0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$77.9

$58.5 A$81.6

-4.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 A$31.68

$18.52 A$25.82

22.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.94

$15.48 A$21.58

15.57%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,456 A$3,424

$2,168 A$3,023

13.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K A$44.0K

$20.7K A$28.8K

52.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$115

$78.2 A$109

5.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 A$72.6

$55.4 A$77.3

-6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$168

$112 A$157

7.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$191

$129 A$180

5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,477

$1,466 A$2,044

21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 A$2,032

$1,294 A$1,804

12.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 A$4,965

$2,299 A$3,205

54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,568 A$3,581

$1,870 A$2,606

37.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,269 A$10.1K

$6,604 A$9,208

10.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,897 A$9,616

$5,273 A$7,351

30.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,459 A$6,217

$4,403 A$6,139

1.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.85

-0.17%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Melbourne and $1,466 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Melbourne vs $84.0 in Mount Isa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $376 per month, with Mount Isa cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Melbourne vs Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Mount Isa differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,910 vs $2,611 including rent). Mount Isa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,777 in Melbourne versus $1,466 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,456 in Melbourne versus $2,168 in Mount Isa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Mount Isa is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Mount Isa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mount Isa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.