Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Prince George

For one person, living is cheaper in Prince George: $2,144 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Prince George
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Prince George Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Prince George

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Prince George

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,144 in Prince George.

Melbourne $2,849
Prince George $2,144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $3,217 in Prince George.

Melbourne $4,274
Prince George $3,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $4,289 in Prince George.

Melbourne $5,699
Prince George $4,289

Living in Melbourne is roughly 33% more expensive than in Prince George, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Prince George 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$18.02 CA$25.20

-2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$72.3 CA$101

16.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.38

$8.78 CA$12.28

38.61%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.82

$3.83 CA$5.36

6.27%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.22 CA$3.11

43.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.57

$2.27 CA$3.17

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.67

$5.76 CA$8.05

66.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.78

$7.23 CA$10.11

14.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.90 CA$2.65

-21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$2.45 CA$3.43

21.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

$4.77 CA$6.67

-43.82%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.79

$4.31 CA$6.03

26.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.30

$6.26 CA$8.75

71.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.35

$13.95 CA$19.51

-27.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.42

$14.25 CA$19.92

5.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$4.17 CA$5.84

-2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.48

$2.77 CA$3.87

13.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.45

$5.30 CA$7.41

-41.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.76

$3.87 CA$5.41

22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$3.03 CA$4.23

-1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.56

$2.31 CA$3.23

7.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

$3.04 CA$4.25

-18.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$2.19 CA$3.06

-26.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.8

$14.91 CA$20.85

199.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.11

$10.76 CA$15.05

17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.92

$5.65 CA$7.91

-1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.48

$1.90 CA$2.65

102.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$44.07 CA$61.6

214.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.22

$2.94 CA$4.11

48.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.71 CA$2.38

-19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.45

$32.80 CA$45.86

-9.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.30 CA$1.81

14.62%

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

$29.1K A$41.5K

$27.4K CA$38.4K

6.02%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$22.1K CA$30.9K

16.16%

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

$236 A$337

$169 CA$237

39.19%

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

$28.01 A$40.01

$42.10 CA$58.9

-33.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.7

$61.0 CA$85.3

-6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$69.1

$43.66 CA$61.1

10.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.65

$17.88 CA$25.00

20.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.23

$8.98 CA$12.56

96.77%

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

$2,461 A$3,515

$410 CA$573

500.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$60.8 CA$85.0

33.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.4

$38.77 CA$54.2

27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

$92.5 CA$129

29.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$152 CA$213

-13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,432

$1,131 CA$1,581

50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,012

$923 CA$1,291

52.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,992

$1,749 CA$2,446

99.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,608

$1,553 CA$2,172

62.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,854

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,079

$3,068 CA$4,290

38.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.96

18.95%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Prince George: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Prince George

$923 43.1% 34.5% $485

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Prince George

$391 * 18.2% 1.2% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Prince George

$272 12.7% 15.1% $49

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Prince George

$278 13% 11.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Prince George

$155 7.2% 9.6% $17

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Prince George

$63 2.9% 61.8% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Prince George

$62 2.9% 26.4% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,131 in Prince George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $72 in Prince George. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $391, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇦 Prince George

🕒 Local time

16:54 4:54 PM

22:54 10:54 PM

18 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

71,974

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Prince George 13,450 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Prince George

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 Prince George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,144 in Prince George, so Prince George is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,131 in Prince George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Prince George runs roughly 68% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,849 per month in Melbourne versus $2,144 in Prince George – Prince George is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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