Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sudbury Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sudbury

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,223 in Sudbury.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $3,350 in Sudbury.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $4,477 in Sudbury.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 9% more expensive than in Sudbury, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Sudbury 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.64

$18.23 CA$25.66

6.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$60.0 CA$84.4

29.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.07

$12.28 CA$17.28

-19.79%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.32

$3.54 CA$4.97

5.37%

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

$2.62 A$3.74

$1.89 CA$2.66

38.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.26

$1.79 CA$2.51

27.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.50

$5.49 CA$7.72

34.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.91

$5.73 CA$8.07

21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.98 CA$2.78

-24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.68

$2.03 CA$2.86

27.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.34

$3.93 CA$5.53

-40.46%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.93

$3.04 CA$4.28

59.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.46

$12.73 CA$17.91

-31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.22

$15.86 CA$22.31

-41.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.82

$12.88 CA$18.13

13.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.74

$3.66 CA$5.15

-9.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.01

$1.33 CA$1.88

111.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.29

$2.90 CA$4.08

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.68

$4.58 CA$6.45

-13.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.81

$1.74 CA$2.45

53.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.19

$3.05 CA$4.29

-26.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$2.15 CA$3.02

1.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.34

$2.92 CA$4.10

-43.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.62

$11.68 CA$16.43

173.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.88

$14.10 CA$19.84

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.67

$2.41 CA$3.39

93.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.20

$2.14 CA$3.01

135.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.00

$3.02 CA$4.25

15.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$172

$73.1 CA$103

65.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.09

$3.36 CA$4.73

5.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$2.17 CA$3.05

-35.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.26

$36.04 CA$50.7

-23.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.09 CA$1.53

5.50%

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

$29.2K A$41.7K

$24.6K CA$34.6K

18.49%

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

$23.0K A$32.8K

$20.6K CA$29.0K

11.40%

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

$154 A$220

$105 CA$148

46.06%

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

$20.93 A$29.89

$48.26 CA$67.9

-56.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.5

$75.7 CA$107

-32.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$69.8

$48.86 CA$68.8

0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.19

$14.62 CA$20.57

11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.81

$11.07 CA$15.57

44.26%

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

$1,765 A$2,520

$722 CA$1,017

144.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.9K

$8,817 CA$12.4K

121.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$95.7

$62.7 CA$88.2

6.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$77.8

$39.85 CA$56.1

36.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$107 CA$150

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$148

$115 CA$162

-10.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,249

$1,026 CA$1,444

53.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,722

$1,046 CA$1,472

15.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,342

$1,682 CA$2,367

80.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,887

$1,744 CA$2,453

15.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$2,647 CA$3,725

167.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,168

$1,927 CA$2,711

233.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,280

$2,878 CA$4,050

52.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.59

-6.07%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sudbury: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $1,026 in Sudbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 53% 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: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $60.0 in Sudbury. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $384, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sudbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Sudbury differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,223 including rent). Sudbury is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $1,026 in Sudbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,765 in Melbourne versus $722 in Sudbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,223 in Sudbury versus $2,420 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sudbury but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Sudbury 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 Sudbury 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 Sudbury gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.