Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Macquarie: $2,498 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,498 in Port Macquarie.

Melbourne $2,823
Port Macquarie $2,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,555 in Port Macquarie.

Melbourne $4,253
Port Macquarie $3,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,611 in Port Macquarie.

Melbourne $5,683
Port Macquarie $4,611

Living in Melbourne is roughly 13% more expensive than in Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Port Macquarie 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$25.22

$17.65 A$25.68

-1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$120

$87.6 A$127

-5.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.37

$10.48 A$15.25

20.52%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.14

$3.75 A$5.45

12.53%

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

$3.12 A$4.53

$2.38 A$3.46

31.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.61

$1.71 A$2.48

45.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$14.10

$6.44 A$9.37

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$12.07

$6.15 A$8.94

34.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.19

$2.04 A$2.97

-26.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.48

$3.11 A$4.52

-0.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.84

$2.88 A$4.19

-8.33%

Eggs

$5.58 A$8.11

$5.14 A$7.47

8.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$14.23

$5.33 A$7.75

83.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.85

$10.35 A$15.06

-8.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$22.08

$12.41 A$18.05

22.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.14

$3.09 A$4.50

36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.56

$4.29 A$6.24

-27.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.71

$2.39 A$3.48

35.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.84

$5.02 A$7.30

-6.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.55

$2.46 A$3.58

27.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.58

$2.43 A$3.53

1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.49

$1.60 A$2.32

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.14

$1.59 A$2.31

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$62.2

$42.90 A$62.4

-0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.76

$10.69 A$15.55

20.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$8.04

$4.26 A$6.20

29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.50

$5.18 A$7.54

-0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.52

$2.79 A$4.05

35.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$205

$85.3 A$124

65.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.46

$3.46 A$5.03

8.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.10

$1.58 A$2.30

-8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$42.08

$40.18 A$58.4

-28.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.11

$1.26 A$1.83

15.08%

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

$29.6K A$43.0K

$26.4K A$38.3K

12.22%

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

$26.3K A$38.2K

$22.5K A$32.7K

16.63%

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

$229 A$333

$206 A$299

11.36%

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

$26.76 A$38.92

$31.08 A$45.21

-13.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$83.7

$60.1 A$87.5

-4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$72.4

$52.8 A$76.8

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$31.20

$9.58 A$13.94

123.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$25.35

$11.03 A$16.04

58.02%

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

$2,435 A$3,541

$2,135 A$3,105

14.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.9K

$20.4K A$29.6K

65.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$117

$78.5 A$114

2.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$74.9

$54.1 A$78.7

-4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$176

$106 A$155

13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$194

$123 A$179

8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,543

$1,425 A$2,073

22.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$2,016

$1,222 A$1,777

13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$5,044

$2,135 A$3,105

62.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,664

$1,729 A$2,514

45.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$12.0K

$5,955 A$8,661

38.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.3K

$5,023 A$7,306

40.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,118

$2,804 A$4,078

50.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.33

12.01%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 48.9% 11.8% $164

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Port Macquarie

$355 14.2% 7.2% $28

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Port Macquarie

$279 11.2% 11.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Port Macquarie

$297 11.9% 5.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Port Macquarie

$163 6.5% 6.4% $11

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Port Macquarie

$108 4.3% 35.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Port Macquarie

$75 3% 11.5% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,425 in Port Macquarie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $88 in Port Macquarie. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $355, with Port Macquarie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

47,793

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.688 USD

1 AUD = 0.615 EUR

1 AUD = 0.688 USD

1 AUD = 0.615 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Port Macquarie 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Port Macquarie

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 Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,498 in Port Macquarie, so Port Macquarie is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,425 in Port Macquarie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,435 in Melbourne versus $2,135 in Port Macquarie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

It comes down to priorities – Port Macquarie wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.