Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Penrith Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Penrith

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,136 in Penrith.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,163 in Penrith.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,190 in Penrith.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 13% more expensive than Penrith, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Penrith 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$11.17 A$15.56

76.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$88.5 A$123

-11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$9.75 A$13.58

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$2.64 A$3.68

38.64%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.71 A$3.77

-4.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.26 A$3.15

3.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$6.41 A$8.94

11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$4.49 A$6.25

55.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.41 A$1.97

2.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.30 A$3.21

15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$0.90 A$1.25

160.00%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$3.38 A$4.70

42.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$10.24 A$14.27

-14.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$8.29 A$11.56

13.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$14.46 A$20.15

-0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$2.31 A$3.22

44.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$2.89 A$4.02

-4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$2.99 A$4.17

0.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$4.76 A$6.64

-17.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$2.27 A$3.16

18.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$1.90 A$2.65

24.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$2.49 A$3.47

-14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$0.77 A$1.08

111.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$30.97 A$43.16

4.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$14.92 A$20.79

-5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$5.22 A$7.28

-11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$6.07 A$8.45

-16.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.62 A$3.65

33.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$64.7 A$90.2

85.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$3.91 A$5.45

-10.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.72 A$2.40

-21.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$39.85 A$55.5

-32.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.13 A$1.57

5.31%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$29.0K A$40.5K

1.35%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$23.3K A$32.5K

1.09%

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

$150 A$209

$163 A$227

-7.92%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$29.58 A$41.22

-28.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$52.6 A$73.3

-4.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$48.41 A$67.5

1.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$15.75 A$21.95

3.94%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$13.47 A$18.77

21.97%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$1,756 A$2,446

0.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$13.1K A$18.3K

45.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$71.0 A$98.9

-3.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$56.7 A$79.0

-6.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$97.7 A$136

8.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$114 A$159

-8.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,117 A$1,556

40.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$1,083 A$1,510

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$1,989 A$2,772

53.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$1,654 A$2,305

20.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$6,090 A$8,487

21.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$5,081 A$7,080

28.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$2,517 A$3,508

79.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.29

-1.59%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Penrith: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,117 in Penrith. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 79% 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 $88.0 in Penrith. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $332, with Penrith 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 Penrith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Penrith differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,136 including rent). Penrith is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 79% 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 $1,117 in Penrith. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $1,756 in Penrith. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,136 in Penrith versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Penrith but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Penrith 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 Penrith 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 Penrith gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.