Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Rhodes Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Rhodes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $1,688 in Rhodes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $2,653 in Rhodes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $3,618 in Rhodes.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 43% more expensive than Rhodes, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Rhodes 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$17.15 €14.76

15.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$65.7 €56.5

19.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$9.36 €8.05

3.63%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$4.35 €3.74

-15.86%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.42 €2.08

7.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$0.68 €0.58

244.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$5.75 €4.95

24.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$4.59 €3.95

52.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$2.17 €1.87

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.06 €1.77

29.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$4.92 €4.23

-52.44%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$5.97 €5.14

-19.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$17.51 €15.06

-49.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$16.67 €14.34

-43.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$16.48 €14.18

-12.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$2.27 €1.95

46.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$1.98 €1.71

39.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$1.50 €1.29

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$2.51 €2.16

57.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$1.91 €1.64

40.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$2.11 €1.81

11.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$1.34 €1.16

59.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$0.78 €0.67

108.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$5.26 €4.53

516.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$8.15 €7.01

73.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$2.63 €2.26

76.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$2.67 €2.30

88.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.29 €1.97

52.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$92.2 €79.3

30.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$4.56 €3.92

-23.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$11.40 €9.81

136.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$2.16 €1.85

-44.91%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$34.6K €29.8K

-15.08%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$26.4K €22.7K

-10.81%

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

$150 A$209

$173 €149

-13.17%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$21.16 €18.20

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$28.66 €24.65

75.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$60.7 €52.3

-19.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$11.53 €9.92

41.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$9.29 €7.99

76.86%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$403 €347

337.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$5,972 €5,137

221.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$177 €152

-61.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$43.84 €37.71

21.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$108 €92.8

-1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$174 €150

-40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$576 €495

173.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$422 €363

183.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$968 €833

214.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$688 €591

189.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$3,912 €3,365

88.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$1,794 €1,543

263.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$1,387 €1,193

225.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

4.7

31.70%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Rhodes: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $576 in Rhodes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 225% 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 $66.0 in Rhodes. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $372, 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 Rhodes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Rhodes differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $1,688 including rent). Rhodes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 225% 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: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $576 in Rhodes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $403 in Rhodes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,688 in Rhodes versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rhodes but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Rhodes 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 Rhodes 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 Rhodes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.