Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Providence, RI

For one person, living is cheaper in Melbourne: $2,853 a month against $3,394 in Providence, RI, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Providence, RI outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Providence, RI
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Providence, RI Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Providence, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Providence, RI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $3,394 in Providence, RI.

Melbourne $2,853
Providence, RI $3,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $4,649 in Providence, RI.

Melbourne $4,275
Providence, RI $4,649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $5,903 in Providence, RI.

Melbourne $5,697
Providence, RI $5,903

Living in Melbourne costs roughly 16% less than in Providence, RI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Providence, RI 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$18.01 $18.01

-4.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$96.2 $96.2

-13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$13.64 $13.64

-8.87%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$5.50 $5.50

-26.36%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$2.96 $2.96

5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.96 $1.96

25.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$5.03 $5.03

89.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$8.01 $8.01

1.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.06 $1.06

47.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$3.20 $3.20

-9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$5.35 $5.35

-50.28%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$4.94 $4.94

8.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$11.41 $11.41

-6.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$14.40 $14.40

-31.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$17.98 $17.98

-14.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$4.79 $4.79

-12.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$1.37 $1.37

129.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$5.58 $5.58

-41.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$4.69 $4.69

1.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$3.30 $3.30

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$3.59 $3.59

-31.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$2.31 $2.31

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$2.02 $2.02

-19.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$13.46 $13.46

235.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$13.30 $13.30

-4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$2.05 $2.05

177.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$4.08 $4.08

28.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$2.06 $2.06

87.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

$70.9 $70.9

100.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$5.05 $5.05

-10.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$1.41 $1.41

0.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$30.45 $30.45

0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.09 $1.09

34.86%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

$27.5K $27.5K

5.09%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.66%

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

$235 A$338

$313 $313

-24.98%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$70.4 $70.4

-61.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$83.6 $83.6

-32.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$56.9 $56.9

-11.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

$60.8 $60.8

-64.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

$14.60 $14.60

21.64%

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

$2,385 A$3,432

$1,477 $1,477

61.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

$16.8K $16.8K

76.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$53.7 $53.7

47.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

$38.95 $38.95

27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

$80.2 $80.2

47.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$100 $100

31.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$2,440 $2,440

-27.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$1,897 $1,897

-25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$3,174 $3,174

10.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$2,602 $2,602

-2.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

$3,746 $3,746

90.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$3,316 $3,316

91.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$3,773 $3,773

12.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.64

-11.14%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Providence, RI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Providence, RI

$1.9K 55.9% 34.4% $486

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Providence, RI

$417 12.3% 7.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Providence, RI

$467 13.8% 46.7% $149

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Providence, RI

$312 9.2% 0.7% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Providence, RI

$123 3.6% 27.9% $48

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Providence, RI

$91 2.7% 46% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Providence, RI

$86 2.5% 0.5% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $2,440 in Providence, RI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Melbourne vs $96.0 in Providence, RI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $417 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇺🇸 Providence, RI

🕒 Local time

03:56 3:56 AM

12:56 12:56 PM

15 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

179,472

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Providence, RI 16,900 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Providence, RI

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 Providence, RI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Providence, RI differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,853 vs $3,394 including rent). Melbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $2,440 in Providence, RI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,385 in Melbourne versus $1,477 in Providence, RI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Providence, RI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne 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 Providence, RI 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Providence, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.