Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Solingen Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Solingen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,137 in Solingen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $3,168 in Solingen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $4,199 in Solingen.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 13% more expensive than in Solingen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Solingen 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.73

$17.63 €15.42

9.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$80.3 €70.2

-3.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.11

$11.68 €10.22

-15.67%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.34

$3.40 €2.97

9.71%

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

$2.62 A$3.75

$2.93 €2.57

-10.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$2.83 €2.48

-19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.54

$5.34 €4.67

37.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.94

$4.70 €4.11

47.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.32 €1.15

13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.26 €1.97

14.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$3.57 €3.13

-34.45%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$3.91 €3.42

24.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.50

$14.83 €12.97

-41.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$16.51 €14.44

-43.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.89

$19.82 €17.34

-26.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$3.21 €2.81

3.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$1.76 €1.54

59.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$2.34 €2.05

28.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$5.24 €4.58

-24.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$1.58 €1.38

68.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$1.58 €1.38

41.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$2.04 €1.78

7.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.18 €1.03

38.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.77

$9.28 €8.12

244.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.94

$5.82 €5.09

139.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$1.07 €0.94

336.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.22

$1.75 €1.53

188.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.02

$3.29 €2.87

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$62.1 €54.4

94.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$4.67 €4.08

-23.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.89 €1.65

-25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.39

$28.18 €24.66

-2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$2.04 €1.79

-43.63%

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

$29.2K A$41.8K

$31.5K €27.6K

-7.49%

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

$23.0K A$32.9K

$36.9K €32.3K

-37.85%

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

$154 A$220

$351 €307

-56.12%

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

$20.93 A$29.99

$28.07 €24.56

-25.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$47.86 €41.87

7.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$57.7 €50.5

-15.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.27

$23.13 €20.24

-29.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.88

$13.72 €12.00

16.40%

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

$1,765 A$2,529

$576 €504

206.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$28.0K

$14.4K €12.6K

35.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.1

$117 €103

-42.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$46.75 €40.90

16.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$138 €121

-23.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$149

$164 €144

-36.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,257

$932 €816

68.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,728

$683 €598

76.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,357

$1,531 €1,340

98.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,897

$1,104 €966

83.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$4,310 €3,770

64.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,198

$4,482 €3,921

43.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,301

$5,365 €4,694

-18.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

3.98

55.53%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Solingen: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $932 in Solingen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solingen pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $80.0 in Solingen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $365 per month, with Melbourne 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 Solingen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Solingen differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,137 including rent). Solingen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Solingen. 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $932 in Solingen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,765 in Melbourne versus $576 in Solingen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,137 in Solingen versus $2,420 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Solingen but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Solingen 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 Solingen 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 Solingen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.