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: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $1,982 in Ostend.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,074 in Ostend.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,166 in Ostend.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 22% more expensive than Ostend, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Ostend 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$23.93 €20.58

-17.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$117 €101

-32.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$12.51 €10.76

-22.46%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$4.26 €3.67

-14.08%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$3.48 €3.00

-25.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$3.18 €2.74

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$5.41 €4.66

32.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$4.57 €3.93

52.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.33 €1.14

9.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.86 €2.46

-6.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.56 €2.20

-8.59%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$4.18 €3.60

14.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$15.64 €13.45

-43.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$11.61 €9.98

-18.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$22.01 €18.93

-34.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$3.02 €2.60

10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$1.95 €1.68

42.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$2.36 €2.03

27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$2.88 €2.48

37.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$1.99 €1.71

34.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$2.01 €1.73

17.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$1.45 €1.25

47.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$1.06 €0.91

53.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$11.92 €10.25

172.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$6.79 €5.84

107.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$1.76 €1.51

163.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$1.91 €1.64

163.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$3.43 €2.95

1.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$41.07 €35.33

191.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$3.37 €2.90

3.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$2.55 €2.20

-47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$37.79 €32.50

-28.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.90 €1.63

-37.37%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$25.8K €22.2K

13.83%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$28.0K €24.1K

-15.69%

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

$150 A$209

$247 €213

-39.30%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$24.93 €21.44

-15.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$61.3 €52.7

-17.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$35.42 €30.47

38.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$17.23 €14.82

-4.99%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$15.09 €12.98

8.88%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$409 €352

330.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$6,577 €5,657

191.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$100 €86.2

-31.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$46.17 €39.72

15.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$106 €91.6

-0.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$160 €137

-34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$826 €710

90.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$664 €571

80.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$1,197 €1,030

154.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$943 €811

110.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$3,861 €3,321

91.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$1,987 €1,709

228.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$3,233 €2,781

39.58%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ostend: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $826 in Ostend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 40% 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: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $117 in Ostend. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $345, 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 22% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $1,982 including rent). Ostend is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 40% more on average, 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: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $826 in Ostend. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $409 in Ostend. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,982 in Ostend versus $2,416 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 22% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.