Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Newcastle, Australia

Name: Newcastle
Address: Newcastle, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Newcastle: $2,577 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Newcastle

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Newcastle actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $2,577 in Newcastle.

Melbourne $2,853
Newcastle $2,577

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $3,805 in Newcastle.

Melbourne $4,275
Newcastle $3,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $5,033 in Newcastle.

Melbourne $5,697
Newcastle $5,033

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than in Newcastle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Newcastle 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.44

$20.75 A$29.49

-17.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$118

$104 A$147

-19.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.66

$10.52 A$14.95

18.16%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.75

$3.82 A$5.42

6.02%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$3.29 A$4.68

-5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.49

$1.76 A$2.49

39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.53

$8.85 A$12.57

7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.59

$6.79 A$9.65

20.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.42 A$2.01

9.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.12

$2.70 A$3.84

7.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.78

$1.95 A$2.78

36.41%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.63

$4.67 A$6.63

14.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.16

$10.17 A$14.45

4.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$13.99

$8.86 A$12.59

11.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$21.83

$15.94 A$22.64

-3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.93

$3.56 A$5.06

17.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$2.95 A$4.20

6.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$2.90 A$4.12

12.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.77

$4.39 A$6.24

8.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.35

$2.89 A$4.11

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.50

$2.32 A$3.29

6.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.48

$2.50 A$3.56

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.31

$1.40 A$1.99

16.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$64.2

$31.88 A$45.29

41.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$10.65 A$15.13

19.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.08

$4.34 A$6.17

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.44

$3.29 A$4.68

58.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.50

$2.74 A$3.90

41.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$202

$150 A$214

-5.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.45

$2.48 A$3.52

83.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.01

$1.57 A$2.23

-9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$43.46

$40.98 A$58.2

-25.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.09

$1.19 A$1.68

23.53%

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

$28.9K A$41.0K

$29.7K A$42.3K

-2.94%

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

$25.9K A$36.8K

$25.1K A$35.6K

3.35%

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

$235 A$334

$218 A$310

7.83%

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

$27.45 A$39.01

$26.13 A$37.13

5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$79.8

$56.6 A$80.4

-0.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$71.2

$44.94 A$63.9

11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.54

$17.86 A$25.38

20.32%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.24

$14.09 A$20.02

26.05%

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

$2,385 A$3,389

$2,158 A$3,067

10.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.1K

$13.7K A$19.4K

116.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$112

$80.5 A$114

-1.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$70.3

$46.87 A$66.6

5.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$168

$119 A$170

-0.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$188

$118 A$167

12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,505

$1,550 A$2,203

13.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,005

$1,197 A$1,700

17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,005

$2,465 A$3,503

42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,588

$1,864 A$2,649

35.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.1K

$13.5K A$19.2K

-47.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,029

$5,833 A$8,288

8.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,051

$3,099 A$4,404

37.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.55

-9.92%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Newcastle: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Newcastle

$1.2K 46.4% 15.2% $215

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Newcastle

$349 13.6% 10.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Newcastle

$301 11.7% 5.6% $18

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Newcastle

$321 12.5% 3.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Newcastle

$164 6.4% 3.9% $6.7

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Newcastle

$172 6.7% 1.5% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Newcastle

$73 2.8% 14.6% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $1,550 in Newcastle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $104 in Newcastle. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $349, with Newcastle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

508,437

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Newcastle 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Newcastle

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Newcastle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Newcastle differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,853 vs $2,577 including rent). Newcastle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $1,550 in Newcastle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,385 in Melbourne versus $2,158 in Newcastle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Newcastle 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 Newcastle are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Newcastle wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.