Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ningi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ningi: $2,517 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Melbourne, Australia
Ningi, Australia
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,849
/mo nomad
Ningi
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,517
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ningi

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 Ningi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,517 in Ningi.

  • Melbourne $2,849
  • Ningi $2,517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $3,730 in Ningi.

  • Melbourne $4,274
  • Ningi $3,730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $4,943 in Ningi.

  • Melbourne $5,699
  • Ningi $4,943

Living in Melbourne is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ningi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Ningi 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50 A$24.87
$20.92 A$29.73
-16.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.3 A$120
$68.9 A$98.0
22.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.17 A$17.30
$6.82 A$9.70
78.45%
Cappuccino
$4.07 A$5.79
$2.61 A$3.71
55.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 A$4.52
$2.28 A$3.24
39.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 A$3.55
$2.37 A$3.37
5.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.57 A$13.60
$7.78 A$11.06
23.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.25 A$11.73
$7.83 A$11.13
5.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 A$2.14
$1.56 A$2.22
-3.85%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 A$4.22
$2.65 A$3.77
12.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.68 A$3.81
$2.41 A$3.42
11.20%
Eggs
$5.45 A$7.75
$4.83 A$6.86
12.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.71 A$15.23
$9.01 A$12.80
18.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.05 A$14.28
$9.33 A$13.26
7.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.00 A$21.32
$14.84 A$21.09
1.08%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 A$5.78
$3.92 A$5.57
3.83%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 A$4.46
$3.09 A$4.39
1.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.12 A$4.43
$3.51 A$4.99
-11.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 A$6.73
$4.14 A$5.88
14.25%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 A$4.24
$2.55 A$3.63
16.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 A$3.55
$2.51 A$3.56
-0.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.53
$2.57 A$3.66
-3.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 A$2.27
$1.59 A$2.26
0.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.65 A$63.5
$45.56 A$64.8
-2.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.68 A$18.02
$14.38 A$20.43
-11.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.55 A$7.88
$5.70 A$8.11
-2.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 A$7.37
$6.93 A$9.84
-25.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.84 A$5.45
$3.10 A$4.41
23.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 A$197
$78.9 A$112
75.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.36 A$6.19
$2.21 A$3.15
97.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 A$1.94
$1.64 A$2.33
-16.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 A$42.25
$36.53 A$51.9
-18.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 A$2.11
$1.30 A$1.85
14.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$41.3K
$29.1K A$41.3K
0.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K A$36.5K
$26.2K A$37.3K
-2.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$236 A$335
$223 A$317
5.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.01 A$39.82
$30.06 A$42.73
-6.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.2 A$81.4
$53.3 A$75.8
7.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.39 A$68.8
$52.3 A$74.3
-7.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.46 A$30.51
$18.39 A$26.14
16.69%
Cinema Ticket
$17.67 A$25.11
$13.33 A$18.95
32.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,461 A$3,498
$2,128 A$3,025
15.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K A$42.2K
$11.7K A$16.6K
153.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 A$115
$77.7 A$110
4.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.28 A$70.0
$54.2 A$77.1
-9.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 A$170
$104 A$148
14.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 A$186
$122 A$173
7.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,703 A$2,420
$1,580 A$2,245
7.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 A$2,002
$1,201 A$1,708
17.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,496 A$4,969
$2,241 A$3,185
56.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,527 A$3,591
$2,079 A$2,955
21.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,978 A$11.3K
$6,618 A$9,407
20.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,900 A$9,808
$4,779 A$6,793
44.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Ningi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,257 A$6,051
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.69
3.69%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ningi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Ningi
$1.2K 14.7% $207
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$386
Ningi
$375 2.9% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$321
Ningi
$306 4.6% $15
Eating Out
Melbourne
$312
Ningi
$292 6.5% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$171
Ningi
$161 6.1% $11
Getting Around
Melbourne
$165
Ningi
$102 38.5% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$84
Ningi
$79 5.7% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,580 in Ningi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $69 in Ningi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $375 per month, with Ningi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇦🇺 Ningi
🕒 Local time
19:01 7:01 PM
18:01 6:01 PM
1 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
5,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Ningi 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Ningi

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 Ningi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Melbourne and in Ningi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,517 in Ningi, so Ningi is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Melbourne compared to Ningi?
You’d need roughly $4,273 in Melbourne and $3,775 in Ningi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Melbourne and in Ningi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,580 in Ningi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Melbourne and Ningi?
Childcare runs $2,461 in Melbourne versus $2,128 in Ningi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Melbourne and Ningi?
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.
Is Melbourne or Ningi safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Melbourne and Ningi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Melbourne or Ningi?
Expats usually find Ningi 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.

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