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: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,260 in Sudbury.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,360 in Sudbury.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,461 in Sudbury.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 7% more expensive than Sudbury, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Sudbury 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$18.54 CA$25.67

6.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$58.2 CA$80.6

35.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$12.55 CA$17.38

-22.71%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$3.37 CA$4.66

8.61%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$1.89 CA$2.62

37.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$1.71 CA$2.37

36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$5.39 CA$7.46

33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$5.86 CA$8.11

19.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$2.00 CA$2.77

-27.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$1.97 CA$2.73

35.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$3.99 CA$5.52

-41.35%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$3.04 CA$4.20

57.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$12.69 CA$17.57

-30.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$16.24 CA$22.49

-41.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$12.73 CA$17.62

13.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$3.59 CA$4.97

-7.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$1.33 CA$1.85

108.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$3.06 CA$4.23

-1.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$4.65 CA$6.44

-15.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$1.67 CA$2.31

60.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$3.10 CA$4.29

-23.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$2.08 CA$2.87

2.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$2.78 CA$3.84

-41.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$12.01 CA$16.63

170.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$14.73 CA$20.39

-4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$2.43 CA$3.36

90.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$2.10 CA$2.91

140.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.89 CA$4.01

20.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$73.4 CA$102

63.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$3.39 CA$4.70

3.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$2.16 CA$2.99

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$34.85 CA$48.26

-22.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.15 CA$1.59

3.48%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$25.5K CA$35.3K

15.51%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$20.7K CA$28.7K

13.68%

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

$150 A$209

$107 CA$148

40.60%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$48.88 CA$67.7

-56.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$77.0 CA$107

-34.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$49.34 CA$68.3

-0.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$14.51 CA$20.09

12.82%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$11.13 CA$15.41

47.62%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$739 CA$1,023

138.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$8,919 CA$12.3K

115.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$63.2 CA$87.5

8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$40.15 CA$55.6

32.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$104 CA$144

2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$116 CA$161

-10.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,066 CA$1,476

47.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$1,036 CA$1,434

15.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$1,712 CA$2,371

77.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$1,722 CA$2,384

15.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$2,705 CA$3,745

173.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$1,912 CA$2,648

241.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$3,005 CA$4,161

50.16%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sudbury: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,066 in Sudbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 50% 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: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $58.0 in Sudbury. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $385, 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,260 including rent). Sudbury is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 50% more on average, 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: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,066 in Sudbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $739 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 $2,260 in Sudbury versus $2,416 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 7% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.