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: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,015 in Ostend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $3,034 in Ostend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $4,053 in Ostend.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 20% more expensive than in Ostend, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Ostend 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.73

$23.99 €20.99

-19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$117 €103

-34.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.11

$12.55 €10.98

-21.51%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.34

$4.20 €3.68

-11.19%

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

$2.62 A$3.75

$3.41 €2.98

-23.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$3.16 €2.76

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.54

$5.68 €4.97

29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.94

$4.64 €4.06

49.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.36 €1.19

10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.78 €2.43

-7.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$2.52 €2.21

-7.14%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$4.17 €3.65

16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.50

$15.59 €13.64

-44.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$11.47 €10.04

-19.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.89

$21.67 €18.96

-32.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$3.01 €2.63

10.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$1.93 €1.69

45.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$2.36 €2.07

27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$2.89 €2.53

37.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$1.91 €1.67

39.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$1.92 €1.68

16.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.42 €1.24

54.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.03 €0.90

59.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.77

$12.22 €10.69

161.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.94

$6.65 €5.82

109.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$1.76 €1.54

165.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.22

$1.85 €1.62

172.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.02

$3.45 €3.02

1.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$41.00 €35.87

194.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$3.57 €3.13

-0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$2.64 €2.31

-46.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.39

$36.95 €32.33

-25.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.89 €1.65

-39.15%

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

$29.2K A$41.8K

$25.9K €22.7K

12.46%

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

$23.0K A$32.9K

$28.2K €24.7K

-18.55%

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

$154 A$220

$250 €218

-38.33%

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

$20.93 A$29.99

$24.92 €21.80

-16.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$61.7 €54.0

-16.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$34.84 €30.48

40.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.27

$17.14 €15.00

-5.25%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.88

$14.85 €12.99

7.54%

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

$1,765 A$2,529

$402 €352

338.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$28.0K

$6,662 €5,829

192.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.1

$96.9 €84.7

-30.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$46.71 €40.87

16.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$106 €92.7

-0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$149

$160 €140

-35.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,257

$821 €718

91.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,728

$663 €580

81.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,357

$1,220 €1,068

149.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,897

$960 €840

110.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$3,853 €3,371

83.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,198

$1,989 €1,740

222.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,301

$3,104 €2,716

41.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

3.33

85.89%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ostend: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $821 in Ostend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 42% 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: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $117 in Ostend. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $341, with Ostend cheaper for home cooking.

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 20% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,015 including rent). Ostend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $821 in Ostend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,765 in Melbourne versus $402 in Ostend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,015 in Ostend versus $2,420 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 20% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.