Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Oulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Oulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,465 in Melbourne versus $1,896 in Oulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Melbourne versus $3,071 in Oulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,806 in Melbourne versus $4,246 in Oulu.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 30% more expensive than Oulu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 84% above, Oulu 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 A$27.07

$16.23 €13.90

19.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 A$110

$116 €99.5

-32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 A$14.04

$14.64 €12.53

-31.49%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.07

$4.89 €4.19

-25.97%

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

$2.61 A$3.66

$3.07 €2.63

-14.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.23

$2.28 €1.95

1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 A$10.40

$8.20 €7.02

-9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.07

$8.25 €7.06

-12.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.04

$1.18 €1.01

23.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.72

$2.61 €2.23

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.25

$2.82 €2.41

-17.73%

Eggs

$4.68 A$6.56

$3.39 €2.90

38.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 A$12.87

$7.82 €6.69

17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 A$13.10

$15.43 €13.21

-39.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 A$20.56

$21.80 €18.66

-32.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.49

$2.47 €2.12

29.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.13 €1.82

30.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.14

$1.95 €1.67

51.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.73

$4.14 €3.55

-1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.78

$1.15 €0.98

134.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.29

$1.73 €1.48

35.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.10

$2.58 €2.21

-14.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.32

$1.58 €1.36

5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.79 A$45.91

$11.58 €9.91

183.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 A$20.42

$14.35 €12.28

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.61

$3.61 €3.09

30.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 A$7.13

$3.79 €3.25

34.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 A$5.05

$3.30 €2.82

9.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 A$165

$59.7 €51.1

97.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.15

$7.40 €6.34

-50.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.95

$1.85 €1.59

-24.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 A$38.61

$66.1 €56.6

-58.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$2.14 €1.84

-44.39%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$33.3K €28.5K

-11.92%

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

$23.7K A$33.2K

$38.0K €32.5K

-37.64%

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

$152 A$212

$111 €95.1

36.57%

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

$21.15 A$29.62

$31.65 €27.10

-33.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.94 A$69.9

$27.80 €23.79

79.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.19 A$68.9

$35.34 €30.25

39.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 A$22.62

$32.17 €27.53

-49.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.38

$17.07 €14.61

-6.33%

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

$1,756 A$2,458

$364 €312

382.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.9K

$11.4K €9,720

69.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 A$93.6

$91.5 €78.3

-26.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$75.5

$48.28 €41.33

11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$114 €97.7

-7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$144

$209 €179

-50.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 A$2,196

$753 €644

108.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 A$1,656

$694 €594

70.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,038 A$4,254

$1,406 €1,204

116.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,831

$1,089 €932

85.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,557 A$10.6K

$4,212 €3,605

79.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,138

$1,905 €1,631

242.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,490 A$6,287

$2,608 €2,233

72.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

3.87

59.95%

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

Last update for Melbourne: April 25, 2026

Last update for Oulu: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,568 in Melbourne and $753 in Oulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 72% 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: $78.0 in Melbourne vs $116 in Oulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $373 per month, with Melbourne 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 Oulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Oulu differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,465 vs $1,896 including rent). Oulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 72% 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: $1,568 in Melbourne versus $753 in Oulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,756 in Melbourne versus $364 in Oulu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,896 in Oulu versus $2,465 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oulu but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Oulu 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 Oulu 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 Oulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.