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: $2,435 in Melbourne versus $2,228 in Prince George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,676 in Melbourne versus $3,349 in Prince George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Melbourne versus $4,470 in Prince George.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 9% more expensive than in Prince George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 83% above, Prince George 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 A$27.65

$18.09 CA$25.35

7.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 A$110

$73.0 CA$102

6.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 A$13.96

$8.70 CA$12.19

13.10%

Cappuccino

$3.69 A$5.23

$3.87 CA$5.43

-4.65%

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

$2.54 A$3.60

$2.26 CA$3.17

12.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.34 CA$3.28

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.45

$5.97 CA$8.37

23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.07

$8.45 CA$11.84

-15.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.13

$2.01 CA$2.82

-25.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.65

$2.34 CA$3.28

10.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.32

$4.82 CA$6.76

-51.45%

Eggs

$4.73 A$6.71

$5.12 CA$7.18

-7.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 A$12.83

$6.65 CA$9.33

36.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.94

$13.12 CA$18.39

-30.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.65

$16.55 CA$23.19

-12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.63

$4.14 CA$5.80

-21.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.90 CA$4.07

-3.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.12

$5.22 CA$7.31

-44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$5.16 CA$7.24

-21.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.91

$3.09 CA$4.34

-11.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.98 CA$4.17

-21.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.01

$3.21 CA$4.50

-33.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.35

$2.87 CA$4.03

-42.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.11 A$46.98

$14.88 CA$20.86

122.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 A$19.47

$10.79 CA$15.12

27.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 A$6.68

$5.55 CA$7.78

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 A$7.14

$2.89 CA$4.05

74.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 A$5.04

$2.70 CA$3.78

31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$172

$44.38 CA$62.2

173.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 A$5.13

$4.16 CA$5.83

-12.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.48 CA$2.07

-9.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.98 A$38.29

$25.56 CA$35.82

5.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.26 CA$1.77

-6.35%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$25.5K CA$35.7K

14.28%

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

$23.0K A$32.6K

$22.0K CA$30.8K

4.59%

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

$151 A$214

$178 CA$249

-15.08%

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

$21.41 A$30.38

$49.97 CA$70.0

-57.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$72.9

$61.4 CA$86.1

-16.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.75 A$70.6

$45.07 CA$63.2

10.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 A$22.77

$18.27 CA$25.60

-12.15%

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 A$23.21

$9.47 CA$13.27

72.76%

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

$1,733 A$2,459

$609 CA$854

184.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K A$26.9K

$12.0K CA$16.8K

58.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 A$98.3

$62.5 CA$87.6

10.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 A$76.5

$40.17 CA$56.3

34.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$151

$97.7 CA$137

9.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$147

$157 CA$220

-33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 A$2,187

$977 CA$1,369

57.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 A$1,693

$914 CA$1,280

30.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,997 A$4,252

$1,730 CA$2,425

73.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 A$2,834

$1,629 CA$2,283

22.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,244 A$10.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,339 A$8,995

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,354 A$6,178

$3,017 CA$4,227

44.33%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Prince George: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,541 in Melbourne and $977 in Prince George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 44% 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: $78.0 in Melbourne vs $73.0 in Prince George. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $421, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($2,435 vs $2,228 including rent). Prince George is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,541 in Melbourne versus $977 in Prince George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,733 in Melbourne versus $609 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 $2,228 in Prince George versus $2,435 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 9% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.