Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Newcastle Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Newcastle

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Melbourne is 7.2% more expensive than Newcastle without rent, and 6.4% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Melbourne is 1.2% more expensive than Newcastle without rent, and 4.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.2 A$29.41
$17.88 A$27.39
7.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.6 A$120
$95.4 A$146
-17.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 A$15.35
$8.33 A$12.75
20.29%
Cappuccino
$3.67 A$5.62
$3.37 A$5.16
8.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 A$3.89
$2.85 A$4.37
-10.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 A$3.49
$2.01 A$3.08
13.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.28 A$11.15
$6.68 A$10.23
8.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.3 A$11.18
$6.67 A$10.22
9.45%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 A$2.2
$1.32 A$2.02
9.09%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 A$4.02
$2.39 A$3.67
10.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 A$3.48
$2.09 A$3.21
8.61%
Eggs
$4.86 A$7.45
$3.88 A$5.94
25.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.74 A$13.39
$9.29 A$14.24
-5.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 A$14.07
$7.79 A$11.93
17.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 A$22.9
$14.54 A$22.28
2.82%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 A$5.1
$3.12 A$4.79
6.73%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 A$4.35
$2.63 A$4.02
7.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$3 A$4.6
$2.7 A$4.13
11.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 A$6.05
$3.63 A$5.56
8.82%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 A$4.09
$2.71 A$4.16
-1.48%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.58
$2.22 A$3.4
5.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 A$3.3
$2.14 A$3.27
0.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 A$2.5
$1.05 A$1.6
56.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.11 A$49.19
$29.53 A$45.24
8.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.13 A$20.11
$9.64 A$14.77
36.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 A$6.96
$4.08 A$6.25
11.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.05 A$7.74
$3.06 A$4.68
65.03%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.67 A$5.62
$2.62 A$4.01
40.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$118 A$180
$140 A$215
-16.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 A$5.6
$2.35 A$3.6
55.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 A$2.05
$1.39 A$2.13
-3.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.26 A$41.77
$37.91 A$58.1
-28.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.82
$1.12 A$1.71
6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K A$43.9K
$28.5K A$43.7K
0.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K A$36K
$21.6K A$33K
9.01%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 A$230
$191 A$293
-21.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.8 A$31.86
$29.3 A$44.89
-29.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51 A$78.2
$57.5 A$88.1
-11.22%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.23 A$73.9
$44 A$67.4
9.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.91 A$24.38
$17.57 A$26.92
-9.45%
Cinema Ticket
$16.53 A$25.32
$12.76 A$19.54
29.55%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,730 A$2,651
$902 A$1,382
91.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.1K A$29.3K
$11.9K A$18.2K
60.84%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 A$104
$77.9 A$119
-12.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 A$82.2
$45.46 A$69.7
18.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$165
$91.5 A$140
17.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 A$162
$111 A$170
-4.44%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,548 A$2,371
$1,435 A$2,199
7.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,228 A$1,881
$1,089 A$1,669
12.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,973 A$4,555
$2,362 A$3,619
25.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 A$2,997
$1,661 A$2,545
17.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,110 A$10.9K
$5,773 A$8,844
23.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,790 A$8,871
$5,034 A$7,713
15.02%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Newcastle
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,045 A$6,198
$3,125 A$4,788
29.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
6.75
-8.30%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: October 28, 2025

Last update for Newcastle: October 29, 2025

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