Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Muswellbrook Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Muswellbrook

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,435 in Melbourne versus $2,166 in Muswellbrook.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,676 in Melbourne versus $3,162 in Muswellbrook.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Melbourne versus $4,159 in Muswellbrook.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 12% more expensive than in Muswellbrook, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 83% above, Muswellbrook 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 A$27.99

$16.87 A$24.23

15.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 A$112

$79.4 A$114

-2.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 A$14.13

$8.41 A$12.08

17.00%

Cappuccino

$3.69 A$5.30

$3.37 A$4.85

9.50%

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

$2.54 A$3.65

$2.91 A$4.19

-12.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.37

$2.11 A$3.02

10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.58

$6.67 A$9.58

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.20

$6.36 A$9.13

11.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.36 A$1.95

10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.70

$2.30 A$3.30

12.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.36

$2.16 A$3.11

8.33%

Eggs

$4.73 A$6.79

$3.78 A$5.42

25.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 A$12.99

$9.31 A$13.38

-2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.10

$7.73 A$11.11

17.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.90

$14.41 A$20.70

0.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.69

$3.24 A$4.66

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$2.71 A$3.89

3.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.17

$2.61 A$3.75

11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.79

$3.77 A$5.41

6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.95

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.37

$2.23 A$3.20

4.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.04

$2.10 A$3.01

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.05 A$1.51

58.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.11 A$47.56

$29.77 A$42.77

11.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 A$19.71

$13.92 A$19.99

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 A$6.77

$4.15 A$5.97

13.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 A$7.23

$3.21 A$4.61

56.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 A$5.10

$2.63 A$3.78

34.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$174

$64.9 A$93.2

86.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 A$5.20

$2.24 A$3.21

61.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 A$1.92

$1.61 A$2.31

-16.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.98 A$38.76

$37.53 A$53.9

-28.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.69

$1.11 A$1.59

6.31%

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

$29.1K A$41.8K

$9,709 A$13.9K

199.91%

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

$23.0K A$33.0K

$17.3K A$24.8K

33.11%

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

$151 A$217

$132 A$190

14.18%

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

$21.41 A$30.75

$28.86 A$41.46

-25.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.8

$56.5 A$81.2

-9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.75 A$71.5

$49.41 A$71.0

0.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 A$23.05

$15.96 A$22.93

0.56%

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 A$23.49

$12.91 A$18.54

26.72%

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

$1,733 A$2,489

$898 A$1,290

92.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K A$27.2K

$11.9K A$17.0K

59.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 A$99.6

$64.7 A$92.9

7.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 A$77.5

$45.10 A$64.8

19.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$92.1 A$132

15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$149

$109 A$157

-4.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 A$2,214

$1,247 A$1,791

23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 A$1,714

$1,053 A$1,512

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,997 A$4,304

$1,997 A$2,868

50.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 A$2,869

$1,680 A$2,413

18.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,244 A$10.4K

$6,409 A$9,205

13.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,339 A$9,106

$4,386 A$6,299

44.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,354 A$6,254

$6,418 A$9,219

-32.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.75

-8.30%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 27, 2026

Last update for Muswellbrook: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,541 in Melbourne and $1,247 in Muswellbrook. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muswellbrook pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Melbourne vs $79.0 in Muswellbrook. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $321, with Muswellbrook cheaper for home cooking.

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 Muswellbrook: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Muswellbrook differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,435 vs $2,166 including rent). Muswellbrook is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Muswellbrook. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,541 in Melbourne versus $1,247 in Muswellbrook. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,733 in Melbourne versus $898 in Muswellbrook. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,166 in Muswellbrook versus $2,435 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Muswellbrook but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Muswellbrook the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Muswellbrook 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 Muswellbrook gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.