Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Port Lincoln

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Lincoln: $2,549 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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 Lincoln
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Port Lincoln Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Port Lincoln

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,549

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Lincoln actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,549 in Port Lincoln.

Melbourne $2,823
Port Lincoln $2,549

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,656 in Port Lincoln.

Melbourne $4,253
Port Lincoln $3,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,764 in Port Lincoln.

Melbourne $5,683
Port Lincoln $4,764

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than in Port Lincoln, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Port Lincoln 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$25.01

$17.39 A$25.08

-0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$119

$84.0 A$121

-1.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.22

$10.66 A$15.37

18.48%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.09

$3.95 A$5.70

6.84%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$2.84 A$4.09

9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.58

$2.20 A$3.18

12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.98

$7.61 A$10.98

27.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.97

$7.48 A$10.78

10.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.17

$1.58 A$2.28

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.44

$2.62 A$3.79

17.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.81

$2.24 A$3.23

17.86%

Eggs

$5.58 A$8.04

$5.00 A$7.21

11.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$14.11

$9.11 A$13.14

7.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.73

$9.39 A$13.54

1.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.90

$14.98 A$21.60

1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.09

$3.83 A$5.53

10.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.52

$3.03 A$4.37

3.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.68

$3.20 A$4.62

1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.79

$4.52 A$6.52

4.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.52

$2.74 A$3.95

14.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.55

$2.37 A$3.43

3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.42 A$3.49

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.61 A$2.33

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.7

$39.41 A$56.9

8.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.61

$14.11 A$20.35

-8.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.98

$4.82 A$6.96

14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.44

$5.11 A$7.38

0.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.47

$2.69 A$3.88

40.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$204

$83.3 A$120

69.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.42

$3.58 A$5.16

4.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.08

$1.58 A$2.28

-8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.74

$39.95 A$57.6

-27.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.09

$1.36 A$1.97

6.62%

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

$29.6K A$42.7K

$30.0K A$43.2K

-1.28%

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

$26.3K A$37.9K

$26.4K A$38.1K

-0.51%

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

$229 A$330

$210 A$303

9.14%

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

$26.76 A$38.60

$27.30 A$39.38

-1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$83.0

$56.3 A$81.2

2.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.8

$56.7 A$81.8

-12.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.94

$17.66 A$25.48

21.46%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$25.15

$13.82 A$19.94

26.12%

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

$2,435 A$3,512

$2,154 A$3,107

13.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.5K

$20.7K A$29.8K

62.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$116

$76.8 A$111

4.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$74.3

$54.6 A$78.8

-5.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$175

$106 A$153

14.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$124 A$180

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,522

$1,410 A$2,035

23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,999

$1,243 A$1,794

11.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$5,002

$2,267 A$3,270

52.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,634

$1,843 A$2,659

36.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.9K

$5,761 A$8,310

43.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.2K

$4,942 A$7,129

42.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,068

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 Lincoln: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Port Lincoln

$1.2K 48.8% 10.3% $143

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Port Lincoln

$367 14.4% 4% $15

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Port Lincoln

$292 11.4% 7.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Port Lincoln

$293 11.5% 6.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Port Lincoln

$163 6.4% 6.5% $11

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Port Lincoln

$106 4.1% 37% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Port Lincoln

$84 3.3% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,410 in Port Lincoln. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Port Lincoln

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

30 min behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

14,404

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Port Lincoln 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Port Lincoln

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 Lincoln: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,549 in Port Lincoln, so Port Lincoln is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,234 in Melbourne and $3,823 in Port Lincoln 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: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,410 in Port Lincoln. 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 $2,549 in Port Lincoln – Port Lincoln is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Port Lincoln 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 Lincoln are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.