Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,020 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
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Selangor Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Selangor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,020 in Selangor.

Melbourne $2,821
Selangor $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,469 in Selangor.

Melbourne $4,235
Selangor $1,469

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,918 in Selangor.

Melbourne $5,650
Selangor $1,918

Living in Melbourne is roughly 177% more expensive than in Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Selangor is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$4.33 MYR 17.67

302.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$19.20 MYR 78.3

340.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.04 MYR 16.46

208.42%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.26 MYR 9.23

81.86%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.78 MYR 3.18

292.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.47 MYR 1.93

436.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$4.43 MYR 18.08

121.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$4.96 MYR 20.24

72.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-23.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.05 MYR 4.30

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.53 MYR 6.25

73.86%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.92 MYR 7.82

188.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$14.26 MYR 58.2

-26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$4.36 MYR 17.78

121.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$9.60 MYR 39.16

58.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.44 MYR 14.04

15.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.84 MYR 7.52

64.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.34 MYR 9.55

32.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.59 MYR 6.49

203.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.34 MYR 5.45

126.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$1.03 MYR 4.21

136.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.11 MYR 4.52

121.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.54 MYR 2.19

201.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$4.50 MYR 18.35

879.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$19.53 MYR 79.7

-34.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$3.59 MYR 14.64

54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$4.86 MYR 19.81

7.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.19 MYR 4.87

214.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$12.26 MYR 50.0

1021.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.24 MYR 5.06

263.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.25 MYR 5.10

8.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$4.34 MYR 17.72

601.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.73 MYR 2.99

101.37%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

-30.79%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

-24.90%

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

$234 A$336

$63.4 MYR 258

268.81%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$8.50 MYR 34.69

228.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$25.97 MYR 106

114.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$41.09 MYR 168

20.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$6.87 MYR 28.04

212.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.05 MYR 20.59

198.81%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$122 MYR 499

1837.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

320.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$70.8 MYR 289

12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$41.40 MYR 169

22.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$77.1 MYR 315

56.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$83.0 MYR 339

57.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$511 MYR 2,083

244.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$346 MYR 1,413

301.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$880 MYR 3,589

297.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$481 MYR 1,963

418.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$1,578 MYR 6,438

338.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$705 MYR 2,875

814.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,019 MYR 4,157

330.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.96

48.99%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Selangor

$346 34% 75.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Selangor

$266 26.1% 30.7% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Selangor

$98 9.6% 69.2% $220

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Selangor

$111 10.9% 64.7% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Selangor

$123 12% 28.7% $49

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Selangor

$25 2.4% 85% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Selangor

$51 5% 35.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $511 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 330% 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 $19.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $266 per month, with Selangor cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

16:48 4:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

281,717

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Melbourne Selangor 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Selangor differ by about 177% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,020 including rent). Selangor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 330% 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: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $511 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $122 in Selangor. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,020 in Selangor versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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 Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.