Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Port Douglas Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Port Douglas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,227 in Port Douglas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,303 in Port Douglas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,378 in Port Douglas.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 8% more expensive than Port Douglas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Port Douglas 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$11.61 A$16.18

70.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$81.3 A$113

-3.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$10.64 A$14.83

-8.83%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$3.79 A$5.28

-3.43%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.74 A$3.82

-5.11%

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

$6.49 A$9.04

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$7.09 A$9.89

-1.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.68 A$2.34

-13.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.53 A$3.53

5.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.80 A$3.90

-16.43%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$3.88 A$5.40

23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$7.79 A$10.86

12.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$9.16 A$12.76

3.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$12.58 A$17.53

14.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$3.02 A$4.21

10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$2.29 A$3.19

20.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$2.76 A$3.85

8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$7.13 A$9.94

-44.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$2.31 A$3.22

16.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$2.32 A$3.24

1.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$2.33 A$3.24

-8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$2.87 A$4.00

-43.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$28.87 A$40.23

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$11.74 A$16.36

20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$3.38 A$4.70

37.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$3.60 A$5.02

40.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.53 A$3.52

37.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$65.3 A$91.0

83.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$6.67 A$9.30

-47.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.56 A$2.18

-13.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$33.73 A$47.01

-20.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.15 A$1.60

3.48%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$23.0K A$32.0K

28.09%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$19.5K A$27.2K

20.79%

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

$150 A$209

$154 A$214

-2.36%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$36.87 A$51.4

-42.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$59.5 A$83.0

-15.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$49.10 A$68.4

0.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$15.63 A$21.79

4.73%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$13.20 A$18.39

24.47%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$1,610 A$2,244

9.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$12.2K A$16.9K

57.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$85.0 A$118

-19.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$47.37 A$66.0

12.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$100 A$139

6.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$135 A$188

-22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,267 A$1,765

24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$1,056 A$1,472

13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$2,003 A$2,791

52.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$1,653 A$2,304

20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$6,336 A$8,830

16.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$5,303 A$7,389

23.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.96

-11.06%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Douglas: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,267 in Port Douglas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $81.0 in Port Douglas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $354 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 Port Douglas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Port Douglas differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,227 including rent). Port Douglas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,624 in Melbourne and $3,341 in Port Douglas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,267 in Port Douglas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $1,610 in Port Douglas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,227 in Port Douglas versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Port Douglas but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Port Douglas 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 Port Douglas 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 Port Douglas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.