Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Rockhampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockhampton: $1,987 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
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Rockhampton Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Rockhampton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $1,987 in Rockhampton.

Melbourne $2,849
Rockhampton $1,987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $3,229 in Rockhampton.

Melbourne $4,274
Rockhampton $3,229

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $4,471 in Rockhampton.

Melbourne $5,699
Rockhampton $4,471

Living in Melbourne is roughly 43% more expensive than in Rockhampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Rockhampton 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$20.51 A$29.14

-14.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$83.9 A$119

0.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$9.90 A$14.07

22.93%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$5.01 A$7.12

-18.76%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.40 A$3.41

32.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.77 A$3.94

-9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$7.66 A$10.89

24.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$6.47 A$9.19

27.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$2.38 A$3.38

-36.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.34 A$3.33

26.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$2.17 A$3.08

23.50%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$3.84 A$5.45

41.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$6.86 A$9.75

56.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$11.15 A$15.85

-9.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$15.74 A$22.36

-4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$2.66 A$3.79

53.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$2.06 A$2.93

52.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$1.87 A$2.66

66.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$4.95 A$7.04

-4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$1.99 A$2.83

49.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.32 A$3.30

7.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.92 A$2.73

29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.23 A$3.17

-28.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$37.33 A$53.1

19.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$15.17 A$21.56

-16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$3.52 A$5.00

57.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$5.93 A$8.43

-12.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$1.72 A$2.45

123.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$63.2 A$89.8

119.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$3.46 A$4.91

26.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.76 A$2.50

-22.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$39.29 A$55.8

-24.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.21 A$1.72

23.14%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$29.8K A$42.4K

-2.49%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$22.9K A$32.5K

12.20%

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

$236 A$335

$203 A$289

15.83%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$23.89 A$33.94

17.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$67.6 A$96.1

-15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$39.77 A$56.5

21.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

$14.23 A$20.22

50.81%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$15.89 A$22.57

11.20%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$1,776 A$2,523

38.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$6,584 A$9,356

351.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$127 A$181

-36.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$59.5 A$84.6

-17.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$141 A$201

-15.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$64.0 A$90.9

104.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

$819 A$1,164

107.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$678 A$964

107.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$1,625 A$2,309

115.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$1,549 A$2,201

63.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$3,315 A$4,710

28.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.27

-5.90%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rockhampton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Rockhampton

$678 34.1% 51.9% $730

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Rockhampton

$358 18% 7.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Rockhampton

$295 14.8% 8.1% $26

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Rockhampton

$326 16.4% 4.3% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Rockhampton

$176 8.9% 2.9% $5

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Rockhampton

$82 4.2% 50.1% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Rockhampton

$72 3.6% 14.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $819 in Rockhampton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 28% 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: $84 in Melbourne vs $84 in Rockhampton. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $358, with Rockhampton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

63,151

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Melbourne Rockhampton 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Rockhampton

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 Rockhampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $1,987 in Rockhampton, so Rockhampton is about 30% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $819 in Rockhampton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,849 per month in Melbourne versus $1,987 in Rockhampton – Rockhampton is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,987 in Rockhampton versus $2,849 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rockhampton but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Rockhampton wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.