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: $2,910 in Melbourne versus $1,829 in Rhodes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,408 in Melbourne versus $2,845 in Rhodes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,905 in Melbourne versus $3,861 in Rhodes.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 59% more expensive than in Rhodes, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Rhodes 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.41 A$25.66

$19.27 €16.61

-4.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 A$121

$69.1 €59.5

25.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.38

$9.97 €8.60

24.97%

Cappuccino

$4.17 A$5.81

$4.57 €3.94

-8.75%

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

$3.15 A$4.40

$2.60 €2.24

21.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 A$3.70

$0.95 €0.82

178.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 A$14.01

$5.74 €4.95

75.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 A$11.86

$4.54 €3.91

87.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.25

$2.21 €1.91

-27.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.58

$1.94 €1.68

69.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$5.25 €4.52

-42.48%

Eggs

$6.00 A$8.36

$6.66 €5.74

-9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.42

$16.97 €14.63

-34.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 A$13.83

$11.91 €10.27

-16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 A$22.12

$19.05 €16.42

-16.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$2.23 €1.92

97.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.49

$2.24 €1.93

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.80

$1.58 €1.36

118.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 A$6.85

$2.54 €2.19

93.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.37

$1.75 €1.51

79.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.02 €1.74

31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 A$3.51

$1.34 €1.15

88.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.36

$0.77 €0.66

119.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.21 A$64.4

$5.19 €4.48

790.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 A$17.54

$8.11 €6.99

55.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.54

$2.68 €2.31

101.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$1.68 €1.45

217.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 A$5.62

$2.58 €2.22

56.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$198

$75.6 €65.2

87.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 A$6.56

$3.45 €2.97

36.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.97

$1.49 €1.28

-5.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.32 A$43.67

$11.60 €10.00

170.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$2.19 €1.89

-34.70%

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

$29.5K A$41.1K

$28.7K €24.8K

2.59%

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

$27.0K A$37.6K

$26.5K €22.8K

1.76%

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

$239 A$334

$229 €197

4.70%

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

$28.19 A$39.30

$27.31 €23.54

3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 A$79.9

$31.61 €27.25

81.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$77.9

$61.4 €52.9

-8.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 A$31.68

$40.51 €34.92

-43.92%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.94

$9.23 €7.96

93.82%

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

$2,456 A$3,424

$491 €424

399.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K A$44.0K

$9,552 €8,233

230.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$115

$159 €137

-48.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 A$72.6

$34.28 €29.55

51.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$168

$114 €98.5

5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$191

$167 €144

-17.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,477

$596 €514

198.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 A$2,032

$473 €407

208.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 A$4,965

$1,066 €919

234.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,568 A$3,581

$804 €693

219.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,269 A$10.1K

$3,799 €3,275

91.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,897 A$9,616

$1,815 €1,564

280.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,459 A$6,217

$1,388 €1,196

221.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.53

28.92%

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

Last update for Melbourne: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rhodes: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Melbourne and $596 in Rhodes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 221% 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: $86.0 in Melbourne vs $69.0 in Rhodes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $357 per month, with Rhodes cheaper across the board.

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 59% in total monthly costs ($2,910 vs $1,829 including rent). Rhodes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 221% 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: $1,777 in Melbourne versus $596 in Rhodes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,456 in Melbourne versus $491 in Rhodes. 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.

At $1,829 in Rhodes versus $2,910 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 59% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.