Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Port Hedland

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Hedland: $2,517 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Port Hedland
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Port Hedland Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Port Hedland

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Port Hedland actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,517 in Port Hedland.

Melbourne $2,823
Port Hedland $2,517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,643 in Port Hedland.

Melbourne $4,253
Port Hedland $3,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,770 in Port Hedland.

Melbourne $5,683
Port Hedland $4,770

Living in Melbourne is roughly 12% more expensive than in Port Hedland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Port Hedland 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.88

$17.47 A$25.06

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$119

$84.3 A$121

-1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.12

$10.68 A$15.32

18.26%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.06

$4.05 A$5.81

4.20%

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

$3.12 A$4.47

$2.93 A$4.21

6.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.56

$2.29 A$3.28

8.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.90

$7.83 A$11.23

23.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.91

$7.70 A$11.04

7.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.16

$1.58 A$2.27

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.41

$2.76 A$3.97

11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.79

$2.23 A$3.20

18.39%

Eggs

$5.58 A$8.00

$4.84 A$6.94

15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$14.04

$9.06 A$13.00

7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.66

$9.27 A$13.30

2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.78

$14.47 A$20.76

4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.06

$3.73 A$5.34

13.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.49

$3.06 A$4.39

2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.65

$3.33 A$4.77

-2.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.75

$4.73 A$6.78

-0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.49

$2.67 A$3.83

17.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.53

$2.41 A$3.45

2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.44

$2.39 A$3.44

0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.59 A$2.28

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.4

$42.72 A$61.3

0.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.51

$14.04 A$20.14

-8.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.93

$4.82 A$6.91

14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.40

$5.17 A$7.41

-0.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.44

$2.81 A$4.04

34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$203

$84.0 A$121

68.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.39

$3.47 A$4.98

8.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.60 A$2.29

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.51

$40.98 A$58.8

-29.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.30 A$1.87

11.54%

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

$29.6K A$42.4K

$29.9K A$42.9K

-1.14%

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

$26.3K A$37.7K

$26.6K A$38.1K

-1.22%

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

$229 A$328

$206 A$295

11.34%

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

$26.76 A$38.39

$27.81 A$39.90

-3.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.6

$57.3 A$82.2

0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.4

$56.4 A$80.9

-11.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.77

$17.67 A$25.35

21.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$25.01

$14.12 A$20.26

23.44%

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

$2,435 A$3,493

$2,113 A$3,032

15.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.2K

$20.7K A$29.8K

62.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$75.7 A$109

6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.9

$54.5 A$78.3

-5.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$108 A$155

12.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$192

$122 A$175

9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,508

$1,387 A$1,990

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,989

$1,210 A$1,737

14.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,975

$2,223 A$3,189

56.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,615

$1,843 A$2,644

36.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.9K

$5,770 A$8,278

43.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$4,965 A$7,124

42.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,035

$5,106 A$7,325

-17.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.9

1.19%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Port Hedland: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Port Hedland

$1.2K 48.1% 12.7% $176

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Port Hedland

$367 14.6% 4.3% $16

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Port Hedland

$296 11.8% 6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Port Hedland

$291 11.6% 7.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Port Hedland

$162 6.5% 6.7% $12

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Port Hedland

$107 4.2% 36.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Port Hedland

$85 3.4% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,387 in Port Hedland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Hedland pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $84 in Port Hedland. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $367, with Port Hedland cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Port Hedland

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

10:48 10:48 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

15,298

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Port Hedland 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Port Hedland

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hedland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,517 in Port Hedland, so Port Hedland is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Melbourne. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,387 in Port Hedland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,823 per month in Melbourne versus $2,517 in Port Hedland – Port Hedland is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Port Hedland is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hedland are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.