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: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $1,901 in Oulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,582 in Melbourne versus $3,053 in Oulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,747 in Melbourne versus $4,205 in Oulu.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 27% more expensive than in Oulu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Oulu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.24 A$27.43

$16.77 €14.63

14.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 A$113

$115 €100

-31.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 A$14.07

$14.29 €12.47

-30.93%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.22

$5.09 €4.44

-28.09%

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

$2.57 A$3.67

$3.11 €2.71

-17.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.23

$2.25 €1.96

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.49 A$10.68

$8.27 €7.21

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 A$10.44

$8.11 €7.08

-9.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.16

$1.13 €0.99

34.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 A$3.72

$2.60 €2.27

0.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.19

$2.87 €2.51

-21.95%

Eggs

$4.69 A$6.69

$3.53 €3.08

32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 A$13.06

$7.88 €6.87

16.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.37

$15.14 €13.21

-38.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.74

$22.00 €19.19

-33.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.51

$2.45 €2.14

28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.12

$2.11 €1.84

36.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.20

$1.99 €1.74

47.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 A$5.70

$4.12 €3.59

-2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.98

$1.19 €1.04

134.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.31

$1.74 €1.51

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.15

$2.46 €2.15

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.36

$1.58 €1.38

4.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.10 A$47.17

$11.49 €10.03

188.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 A$20.46

$13.89 €12.12

3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.61

$3.60 €3.14

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.31

$3.87 €3.37

32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 A$5.19

$3.18 €2.77

14.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 A$170

$59.9 €52.3

98.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.03

$7.59 €6.63

-53.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.93

$1.81 €1.58

-24.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 A$38.04

$67.0 €58.5

-60.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.62

$2.13 €1.86

-46.48%

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

$28.8K A$41.1K

$33.4K €29.1K

-13.69%

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

$23.7K A$33.8K

$37.9K €33.0K

-37.47%

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

$150 A$214

$110 €96.4

35.78%

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

$20.81 A$29.67

$31.54 €27.52

-34.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 A$73.6

$27.62 €24.10

87.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 A$71.5

$36.08 €31.48

39.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 A$22.94

$32.06 €27.97

-49.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 A$22.75

$17.40 €15.18

-8.28%

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

$1,716 A$2,445

$358 €313

378.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K A$28.0K

$11.3K €9,898

73.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$95.4

$89.6 €78.1

-25.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 A$77.2

$47.43 €41.38

14.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$152

$116 €101

-7.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$150

$209 €182

-49.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 A$2,180

$759 €662

101.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 A$1,710

$701 €612

71.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,004 A$4,282

$1,356 €1,183

121.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 A$2,838

$1,108 €967

79.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,160 A$10.2K

$4,128 €3,601

73.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,075 A$8,660

$2,071 €1,807

193.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,524 A$6,449

$2,596 €2,265

74.27%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Oulu: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,529 in Melbourne and $759 in Oulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 74% 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 $115 in Oulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $371 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 27% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $1,901 including rent). Oulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $1,529 in Melbourne versus $759 in Oulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,716 in Melbourne versus $358 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 $1,901 in Oulu versus $2,416 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 27% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.