Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Northam

For one person, living is cheaper in Northam: $2,498 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Northam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $2,498 in Northam.

Melbourne $2,853
Northam $2,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $3,618 in Northam.

Melbourne $4,275
Northam $3,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $4,737 in Northam.

Melbourne $5,697
Northam $4,737

Living in Melbourne is roughly 14% more expensive than in Northam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Northam 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.44

$19.97 A$28.37

-13.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$118

$85.1 A$121

-2.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.66

$10.55 A$15.00

17.82%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.75

$4.48 A$6.36

-9.60%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.84 A$4.03

9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.49

$2.29 A$3.25

7.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.53

$8.30 A$11.79

14.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.59

$8.10 A$11.51

0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.74 A$2.48

-10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.12

$2.58 A$3.66

12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.78

$1.98 A$2.82

34.34%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.63

$4.48 A$6.36

19.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.16

$6.37 A$9.05

67.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$13.99

$9.12 A$12.96

8.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$21.83

$14.08 A$20.01

9.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$5.93

$2.73 A$3.88

52.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.25 A$4.62

-3.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.63

$3.44 A$4.89

-5.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.77

$4.92 A$6.99

-3.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.35

$2.89 A$4.11

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.50

$1.97 A$2.81

25.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.48

$2.25 A$3.20

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.31

$0.73 A$1.04

123.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$64.2

$41.37 A$58.8

9.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$3.49 A$4.96

263.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.08

$4.40 A$6.25

29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.44

$3.51 A$4.99

49.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.50

$2.92 A$4.15

32.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$202

$80.6 A$114

76.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.45

$3.53 A$5.02

28.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.01

$1.46 A$2.07

-2.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$43.46

$41.14 A$58.5

-25.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.09

$1.35 A$1.91

8.89%

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

$28.9K A$41.0K

$26.9K A$38.2K

7.49%

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

$25.9K A$36.8K

$29.5K A$41.9K

-12.03%

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

$235 A$334

$196 A$278

20.05%

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

$27.45 A$39.01

$24.09 A$34.24

13.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$79.8

$64.3 A$91.4

-12.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$71.2

$56.5 A$80.2

-11.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.54

$17.81 A$25.31

20.66%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.24

$17.30 A$24.59

2.66%

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

$2,385 A$3,389

$2,328 A$3,307

2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.1K

$23.2K A$33.0K

27.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$112

$77.3 A$110

2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$70.3

$66.3 A$94.2

-25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$168

$123 A$174

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$188

$161 A$229

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,505

$1,391 A$1,976

26.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,005

$1,190 A$1,691

18.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,005

$2,173 A$3,088

62.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,588

$1,783 A$2,533

41.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.1K

$5,780 A$8,213

23.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,029

$4,889 A$6,947

29.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,051

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.91

-0.17%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Northam

$1.2K 47.6% 15.7% $221

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Northam

$314 12.6% 19.2% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Northam

$284 11.4% 10.8% $34

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Northam

$323 12.9% 4.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Northam

$192 7.7% 12.6% $22

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Northam

$103 4.1% 39% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Northam

$91 3.7% 6.4% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $1,391 in Northam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $85 in Northam. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $314, with Northam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Northam

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

6,000

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Northam 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Northam

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 Northam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Northam differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,853 vs $2,498 including rent). Northam is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,280 in Melbourne and $3,747 in Northam 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $1,391 in Northam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,853 per month in Melbourne versus $2,498 in Northam – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Northam 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 Northam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.