Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sunshine Coast Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sunshine Coast

😐 Solo nomad: Melbourne is 33.2% more expensive than Sunshine Coast without rent, and 21.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Melbourne is 20.6% more expensive than Sunshine Coast without rent, and 23.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.21 A$27.28
$14.78 A$20.98
29.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.9 A$112
$65.2 A$92.5
21.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.49 A$13.48
$8.63 A$12.25
9.97%
Cappuccino
$3.71 A$5.26
$3.40 A$4.83
9.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 A$3.73
$2.14 A$3.04
22.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 A$3.29
$2.26 A$3.20
2.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.18 A$10.20
$6.64 A$9.43
8.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.27 A$10.32
$6.98 A$9.91
4.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 A$2.14
$1.22 A$1.73
23.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 A$3.80
$1.80 A$2.55
48.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 A$3.20
$1.77 A$2.51
27.12%
Eggs
$4.84 A$6.88
$4.43 A$6.29
9.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.91 A$12.65
$7.14 A$10.14
24.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.17 A$13.02
$9.06 A$12.86
1.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.73 A$20.92
$12.59 A$17.87
17.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.47
$2.68 A$3.80
17.54%
Banana (1kg)
$2.83 A$4.02
$2.41 A$3.42
17.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 A$4.20
$3.53 A$5.01
-16.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.10 A$5.82
$3.86 A$5.49
6.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 A$3.83
$1.91 A$2.71
40.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 A$3.19
$1.70 A$2.41
31.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.22 A$3.15
$1.92 A$2.73
15.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 A$2.30
$1.74 A$2.47
-6.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$33.12 A$47.03
$23.44 A$33.29
41.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.38 A$20.42
$13.66 A$19.40
5.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.62 A$6.56
$5.03 A$7.15
-8.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.19 A$7.37
$5.63 A$7.99
-7.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.55 A$5.04
$1.41 A$2.00
151.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$121 A$172
$37.84 A$53.7
220.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 A$5.06
$1.96 A$2.78
82.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 A$1.99
$1.40 A$1.98
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.13 A$38.52
$34.06 A$48.37
-20.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 A$1.61
$1.16 A$1.65
-1.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K A$40.2K
$29.4K A$41.8K
-3.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4K A$33.3K
$21.6K A$30.7K
8.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$153 A$217
$128 A$182
19.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.87 A$29.64
$27.76 A$39.41
-24.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.3 A$71.5
$44.46 A$63.1
13.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.13 A$69.8
$49.07 A$69.7
0.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 A$23.25
$15.43 A$21.91
6.16%
Cinema Ticket
$16.19 A$22.99
$12.86 A$18.26
25.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,756 A$2,494
$292 A$415
501.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.5K A$27.8K
$7,153 A$10.2K
173.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.9 A$95.0
$61.2 A$86.9
9.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.9 A$75.2
$47.97 A$68.1
10.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 A$151
$88.9 A$126
19.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 A$147
$94.6 A$134
9.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,548 A$2,199
$1,102 A$1,564
40.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,189 A$1,689
$947 A$1,344
25.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,019 A$4,287
$1,741 A$2,473
73.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,004 A$2,845
$1,617 A$2,297
23.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,402 A$10.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,518 A$9,255
$5,231 A$7,428
24.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,262 A$6,053
$3,459 A$4,912
23.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
6.25
-0.96%

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

Last update for Melbourne: March 2, 2026

Last update for Sunshine Coast: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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