Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Redland City

For one person, living is cheaper in Redland City: $2,309 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Redland City
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Redland City Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Redland City

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,309

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Redland City

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 Redland City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,309 in Redland City.

Melbourne $2,823
Redland City $2,309

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $3,306 in Redland City.

Melbourne $4,253
Redland City $3,306

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $4,304 in Redland City.

Melbourne $5,683
Redland City $4,304

Living in Melbourne is roughly 22% more expensive than in Redland City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Redland City 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.71

$15.21 A$21.67

14.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$62.3 A$88.7

32.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.00

$9.84 A$14.02

28.35%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.01

$3.79 A$5.40

11.35%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.92 A$4.16

6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.06 A$2.93

20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.81

$7.86 A$11.20

23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.83

$6.33 A$9.02

31.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.58 A$2.25

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.38

$2.67 A$3.80

15.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.77

$2.42 A$3.45

9.09%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.94

$4.96 A$7.06

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.94

$8.26 A$11.77

18.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.57

$8.93 A$12.73

6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.63

$14.56 A$20.75

4.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.01

$3.57 A$5.09

18.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$2.86 A$4.07

9.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.62

$2.15 A$3.06

50.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.71

$3.50 A$4.98

34.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.46

$2.53 A$3.60

23.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.51

$1.78 A$2.54

38.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.12 A$3.01

13.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.55 A$2.20

-5.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$60.9

$33.56 A$47.82

27.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.38

$11.17 A$15.92

15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.88

$4.89 A$6.97

13.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.35

$4.14 A$5.90

24.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.41

$0.36 A$0.51

952.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$201

$85.8 A$122

64.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.35

$2.13 A$3.03

76.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.64 A$2.33

-12.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.23

$35.48 A$50.6

-18.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.38 A$1.96

5.07%

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

$29.6K A$42.1K

$29.6K A$42.2K

-0.05%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$26.4K A$37.6K

-0.58%

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

$229 A$326

$87.7 A$125

161.14%

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

$26.76 A$38.13

$30.68 A$43.72

-12.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.0

$54.7 A$78.0

5.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$70.9

$56.7 A$80.8

-12.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.57

$17.55 A$25.01

22.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.84

$7.04 A$10.03

147.59%

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

$2,435 A$3,469

$518 A$738

369.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$47.9K

$4,129 A$5,884

714.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$76.7 A$109

4.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.4

$54.3 A$77.4

-5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$105 A$149

15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$190

$99.9 A$142

33.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,491

$1,394 A$1,986

25.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,975

$1,208 A$1,722

14.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,942

$2,235 A$3,185

55.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,590

$1,797 A$2,560

40.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,956 A$8,487

38.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$4,953 A$7,057

42.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$5,994

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.69

4.92%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Redland City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Redland City

$1.2K 52.3% 12.8% $178

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Redland City

$339 14.7% 11.3% $43

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Redland City

$269 11.6% 14.7% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Redland City

$173 7.5% 44.7% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Redland City

$151 6.5% 13.2% $23

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Redland City

$98 4.2% 41.7% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Redland City

$71 3.1% 16.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,394 in Redland City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $62 in Redland City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $339 per month, with Redland City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Redland City

🕒 Local time

04:07 4:07 AM

03:07 3:07 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

159,222

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Redland City 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Redland City

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 Redland City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,309 in Redland City, so Redland City is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,234 in Melbourne and $3,463 in Redland City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,394 in Redland City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,435 in Melbourne versus $518 in Redland City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Redland City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Redland City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.