Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ostend Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ostend

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,894 in Melbourne versus $1,917 in Ostend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,377 in Melbourne versus $2,773 in Ostend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,860 in Melbourne versus $3,629 in Ostend.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 51% more expensive than in Ostend, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Ostend 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 A$25.05

$22.49 €19.41

-20.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$118

$80.7 €69.6

4.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.26 A$17.10

$11.79 €10.18

3.99%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$5.90

$4.35 €3.76

-2.99%

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

$3.16 A$4.40

$3.22 €2.78

-1.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 A$3.72

$2.57 €2.22

3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.98 A$13.93

$4.58 €3.96

117.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 A$12.32

$4.56 €3.93

93.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.30

$1.27 €1.10

29.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 A$4.75

$2.66 €2.30

27.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.89

$2.36 €2.04

18.22%

Eggs

$5.69 A$7.94

$4.03 €3.48

41.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 A$15.77

$11.88 €10.25

-4.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 A$13.49

$12.24 €10.56

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 A$22.02

$14.07 €12.14

12.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.85

$2.92 €2.52

43.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$2.14 €1.85

41.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.57

$2.21 €1.91

47.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.72

$2.31 €1.99

108.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.55

$1.83 €1.58

78.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.63

$1.73 €1.49

50.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.25 €1.08

100.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.29

$0.99 €0.86

65.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.11 A$64.3

$10.59 €9.14

335.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 A$16.83

$6.86 €5.92

75.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.65

$2.14 €1.85

156.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 A$7.19

$1.88 €1.62

173.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 A$5.34

$3.45 €2.98

11.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 A$202

$40.20 €34.69

259.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 A$6.02

$3.58 €3.09

20.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.05

$2.29 €1.98

-35.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 A$43.29

$26.22 €22.62

18.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.04

$1.84 €1.59

-20.65%

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

$29.5K A$41.2K

$35.9K €30.9K

-17.65%

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

$27.7K A$38.7K

$32.5K €28.1K

-14.72%

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

$242 A$338

$185 €160

30.66%

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

$28.20 A$39.35

$19.30 €16.66

46.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$79.8

$55.0 €47.42

4.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 A$78.4

$37.48 €32.34

49.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.71 A$30.29

$11.43 €9.87

89.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.96

$15.13 €13.06

18.24%

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

$2,443 A$3,410

$399 €345

511.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K A$46.1K

$17.0K €14.7K

93.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 A$115

$100 €86.4

-18.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.4

$26.99 €23.29

86.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 A$176

$93.5 €80.7

34.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 A$193

$122 €105

13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 A$2,475

$837 €722

111.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 A$1,992

$712 €614

100.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 A$4,889

$1,301 €1,122

169.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 A$3,512

$1,008 €870

149.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,411 A$10.3K

$3,851 €3,323

92.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,718 A$9,375

$2,024 €1,746

232.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,478 A$6,249

$3,236 €2,792

38.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

3.33

75.68%

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

Last update for Melbourne: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ostend: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,774 in Melbourne and $837 in Ostend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 38% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $81.0 in Ostend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $306 per month, with Ostend cheaper across the board.

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 Ostend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Ostend differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($2,894 vs $1,917 including rent). Ostend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,774 in Melbourne versus $837 in Ostend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,443 in Melbourne versus $399 in Ostend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,917 in Ostend versus $2,894 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ostend but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Ostend 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 Ostend 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 Ostend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.