Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Putra Heights

For one person, living is cheaper in Putra Heights: $942 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Putra Heights
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Putra Heights Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Putra Heights

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Putra Heights

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $942 in Putra Heights.

Melbourne $2,821
Putra Heights $942

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,398 in Putra Heights.

Melbourne $4,235
Putra Heights $1,398

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,855 in Putra Heights.

Melbourne $5,650
Putra Heights $1,855

Living in Melbourne is roughly 200% more expensive than in Putra Heights, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Putra Heights is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.75 MYR 15.29

364.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$18.38 MYR 75.0

360.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.88 MYR 19.93

155.33%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.98 MYR 12.15

37.92%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.85 MYR 3.47

260.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.44 MYR 1.81

472.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$4.52 MYR 18.45

116.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$6.15 MYR 25.10

39.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.75 MYR 7.12

-15.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.11 MYR 4.53

164.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.48 MYR 6.02

79.73%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.74 MYR 7.09

218.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$13.83 MYR 56.4

-24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.32 MYR 17.62

123.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$9.66 MYR 39.39

57.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.42 MYR 13.97

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.66 MYR 6.78

81.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.32 MYR 9.45

33.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.55 MYR 6.31

210.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.29 MYR 5.25

134.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.35 MYR 5.52

80.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.17 MYR 4.78

110.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.52 MYR 2.10

213.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$4.40 MYR 17.93

901.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$14.00 MYR 57.1

-9.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.89 MYR 11.79

91.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.10 MYR 12.66

68.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.75 MYR 3.07

398.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.05 MYR 49.14

1041.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.01 MYR 4.11

346.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.70 MYR 2.86

94.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$4.99 MYR 20.35

510.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.83 MYR 3.37

77.11%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$42.1K MYR 171.8K

-31.11%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$35.1K MYR 143.3K

-24.63%

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

$234 A$336

$63.4 MYR 259

268.46%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$8.81 MYR 35.92

217.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$26.68 MYR 109

108.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$39.80 MYR 162

24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$7.32 MYR 29.87

193.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.06 MYR 20.64

198.22%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$162 MYR 659

1368.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$5,415 MYR 22.1K

457.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$53.4 MYR 218

49.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$16.30 MYR 66.5

211.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$81.8 MYR 334

47.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$96.5 MYR 393

35.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$405 MYR 1,654

333.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$298 MYR 1,214

367.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$675 MYR 2,753

417.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$480 MYR 1,958

419.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$1,835 MYR 7,484

277.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$944 MYR 3,851

582.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,121 MYR 4,575

290.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.06

45.32%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Putra Heights: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Putra Heights

$298 31.6% 78.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Putra Heights

$244 25.9% 36.5% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Putra Heights

$99 10.5% 68.8% $218

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Putra Heights

$120 12.8% 61.7% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Putra Heights

$112 11.9% 35% $60

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Putra Heights

$20 2.1% 88.1% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Putra Heights

$50 5.3% 37.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $405 in Putra Heights. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 291% 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $18.00 in Putra Heights for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $244 per month, with Putra Heights cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Putra Heights

🕒 Local time

18:56 6:56 PM

15:56 3:56 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

60,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Melbourne Putra Heights 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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Putra Heights

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 Putra Heights: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Putra Heights differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $942 including rent). Putra Heights is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 291% 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: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $405 in Putra Heights. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $162 in Putra Heights. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $942 in Putra Heights versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putra Heights but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Putra Heights 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 Putra Heights 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 Putra Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.