Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Santa Rita

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rita: $1,784 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Santa Rita

🇬🇺 Guam

$1,784

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Santa Rita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $1,784 in Santa Rita.

Melbourne $2,853
Santa Rita $1,784

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $2,706 in Santa Rita.

Melbourne $4,275
Santa Rita $2,706

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $3,628 in Santa Rita.

Melbourne $5,697
Santa Rita $3,628

Living in Melbourne is roughly 60% more expensive than in Santa Rita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Santa Rita 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$20.09 $20.09

-14.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$75.3 $75.3

10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$6.16 $6.16

101.79%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$5.04 $5.04

-19.64%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$2.48 $2.48

25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.43 $2.43

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$7.90 $7.90

20.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$9.88 $9.88

-17.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$3.85 $3.85

-59.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$4.24 $4.24

-31.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.63 $2.63

1.14%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$3.84 $3.84

39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$19.70 $19.70

-45.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$6.46 $6.46

52.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$9.92 $9.92

54.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$4.76 $4.76

-12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$2.69 $2.69

17.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$4.50 $4.50

5.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$4.08 $4.08

-25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$2.77 $2.77

-10.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$2.00 $2.00

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$2.77 $2.77

105.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$1.73 $1.73

202.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$32.63 $32.63

-6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.39 $1.39

5.76%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

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

$235 A$338

$251 $251

-6.30%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$89.9 $89.9

-69.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$78.4 $78.4

-28.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$101 $101

-50.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

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

$2,385 A$3,432

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$900 $900

95.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$612 $612

130.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$1,982 $1,982

77.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$1,102 $1,102

129.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$303 $303

1999.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$5,588 $5,588

-23.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Santa Rita: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Santa Rita

–

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Santa Rita

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Santa Rita

–

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Santa Rita

–

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Santa Rita

–

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Santa Rita

–

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Santa Rita

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $900 in Santa Rita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Rita pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Melbourne vs $75.0 in Santa Rita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $333 per month, with Santa Rita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇬🇺 Santa Rita

🕒 Local time

11:49 11:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

7,500

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Santa Rita 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Santa Rita

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 Santa Rita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Santa Rita differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,853 vs $1,784 including rent). Santa Rita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Santa Rita. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $900 in Santa Rita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Rita – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $83.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,853 per month in Melbourne versus $1,784 in Santa Rita – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,784 in Santa Rita versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Santa Rita but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rita 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 Santa Rita 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 Santa Rita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.