Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Scottsdale, AZ

For one person, living costs are similar in Melbourne and in Scottsdale, AZ: $2,821 and $2,911 a month, rent and utilities included.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Scottsdale, AZ
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Scottsdale, AZ Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Scottsdale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,911

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Scottsdale, AZ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $2,911 in Scottsdale, AZ.

Melbourne $2,821
Scottsdale, AZ $2,911

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $4,339 in Scottsdale, AZ.

Melbourne $4,235
Scottsdale, AZ $4,339

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $5,767 in Scottsdale, AZ.

Melbourne $5,650
Scottsdale, AZ $5,767

Living in Melbourne costs roughly 3% less than in Scottsdale, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Scottsdale, AZ 116% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$19.63 $19.63

-11.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$85.9 $85.9

-1.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$12.83 $12.83

-2.88%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$5.32 $5.32

-22.74%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.94 $2.94

4.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.38 $2.38

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$6.10 $6.10

60.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$7.88 $7.88

8.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.01 $1.01

46.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$4.06 $4.06

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$4.97 $4.97

-46.48%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$4.49 $4.49

23.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$13.68 $13.68

-23.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$11.21 $11.21

-13.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$17.13 $17.13

-11.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$4.39 $4.39

-9.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.87 $1.87

61.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.77 $3.77

-17.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$4.16 $4.16

15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.84 $2.84

6.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.81 $2.81

-13.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.12 $2.12

16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$2.63 $2.63

-38.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$10.65 $10.65

313.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$13.49 $13.49

-5.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.49 $2.49

122.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$3.33 $3.33

57.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$2.26 $2.26

65.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$42.51 $42.51

223.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.77 $2.77

62.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.34 $1.34

1.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$35.81 $35.81

-14.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.19 $1.19

23.53%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$36.6K $36.6K

-20.87%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

4.22%

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

$234 A$336

$200 $200

16.67%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$63.7 $63.7

-56.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$75.2 $75.2

-25.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$34.23 $34.23

44.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$10.04 $10.04

113.94%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$13.71 $13.71

10.07%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$1,238 $1,238

91.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$20.2K $20.2K

49.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$54.9 $54.9

45.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$43.13 $43.13

17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$99.2 $99.2

21.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$133 $133

-1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$2,387 $2,387

-26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$1,567 $1,567

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$3,230 $3,230

8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$2,760 $2,760

-9.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$3,759 $3,759

84.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$4,744 $4,744

35.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$5,671 $5,671

-22.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.62

-10.88%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Scottsdale, AZ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Scottsdale, AZ

$1.6K 53.8% 12.8% $177

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Scottsdale, AZ

$406 14% 5.8% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Scottsdale, AZ

$339 11.7% 6.9% $22

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Scottsdale, AZ

$327 11.2% 4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Scottsdale, AZ

$149 5.1% 13.5% $23

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Scottsdale, AZ

$61 2.1% 62.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Scottsdale, AZ

$62 2.1% 22.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $2,387 in Scottsdale, AZ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scottsdale, AZ pays 29% 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $86.0 in Scottsdale, AZ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $406 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇺🇸 Scottsdale, AZ

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

03:23 3:23 AM

18 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

241,361

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Scottsdale, AZ 13,250 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

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Scottsdale, AZ

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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 Scottsdale, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Scottsdale, AZ differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $2,911 including rent). Melbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Scottsdale, AZ. 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: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $2,387 in Scottsdale, AZ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $1,238 in Scottsdale, AZ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Scottsdale, AZ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Scottsdale, AZ 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Scottsdale, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.