Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Prince George Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Prince George

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,181 in Prince George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,582 in Melbourne versus $3,372 in Prince George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,747 in Melbourne versus $4,562 in Prince George.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than Prince George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Prince George 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.24 A$27.22

$18.67 CA$26.13

3.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 A$112

$74.5 CA$104

6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 A$13.97

$8.44 CA$11.82

16.94%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.18

$4.04 CA$5.65

-9.41%

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

$2.57 A$3.64

$2.28 CA$3.19

12.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.21

$2.32 CA$3.25

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.49 A$10.60

$5.72 CA$8.00

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 A$10.37

$8.37 CA$11.72

-12.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.15

$1.94 CA$2.71

-21.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 A$3.70

$2.38 CA$3.33

9.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.17

$4.78 CA$6.69

-53.14%

Eggs

$4.69 A$6.64

$5.08 CA$7.11

-7.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 A$12.96

$6.53 CA$9.13

40.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.27

$13.11 CA$18.34

-28.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.58

$16.55 CA$23.17

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.48

$4.27 CA$5.97

-26.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.09

$2.92 CA$4.09

-1.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.16

$5.20 CA$7.28

-43.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 A$5.66

$5.14 CA$7.19

-22.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.95

$3.15 CA$4.41

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.97 CA$4.16

-21.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.12

$3.10 CA$4.34

-28.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.34

$3.02 CA$4.23

-45.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.10 A$46.82

$14.80 CA$20.71

123.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 A$20.30

$10.83 CA$15.16

32.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.57

$5.51 CA$7.72

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.26

$2.93 CA$4.10

75.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 A$5.16

$2.78 CA$3.89

30.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 A$169

$43.97 CA$61.5

171.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$4.99

$4.12 CA$5.77

-14.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.92

$1.42 CA$1.98

-4.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 A$37.75

$26.24 CA$36.73

1.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.61

$1.23 CA$1.72

-7.32%

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

$28.8K A$40.8K

$25.9K CA$36.3K

11.17%

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

$23.7K A$33.5K

$22.6K CA$31.7K

4.68%

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

$150 A$212

$179 CA$251

-16.24%

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

$20.81 A$29.45

$49.66 CA$69.5

-58.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 A$73.1

$61.6 CA$86.1

-16.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 A$71.0

$44.94 CA$62.9

11.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 A$22.77

$18.21 CA$25.49

-11.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 A$22.58

$9.35 CA$13.09

70.70%

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

$1,716 A$2,427

$608 CA$851

182.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K A$27.8K

$11.7K CA$16.3K

68.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$94.7

$64.3 CA$90.1

4.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 A$76.7

$41.17 CA$57.6

31.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$151

$97.6 CA$137

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$148

$158 CA$221

-33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 A$2,163

$985 CA$1,379

55.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 A$1,697

$924 CA$1,293

29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,004 A$4,250

$1,718 CA$2,405

74.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 A$2,817

$1,632 CA$2,285

21.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,160 A$10.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,075 A$8,595

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,524 A$6,401

$3,107 CA$4,348

45.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.32

-2.06%

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

Last update for Melbourne: June 15, 2026

Last update for Prince George: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,529 in Melbourne and $985 in Prince George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $74.0 in Prince George. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $422, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

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

Melbourne and Prince George differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,181 including rent). Prince George is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 46% more on average, 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: $1,529 in Melbourne versus $985 in Prince George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,716 in Melbourne versus $608 in Prince George. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,181 in Prince George versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Prince George but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Prince George 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 Prince George 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 Prince George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.