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

😐 Solo nomad: Melbourne is 4.2% more expensive than Sunshine Coast without rent, and 22.7% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Melbourne is 16.7% more expensive than Sunshine Coast without rent, and 21% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.40 A$26.96
$14.82 A$20.59
30.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.5 A$106
$65.6 A$91.2
16.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.99 A$13.89
$9.06 A$12.59
10.26%
Cappuccino
$3.71 A$5.16
$3.48 A$4.84
6.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 A$3.60
$2.21 A$3.07
17.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 A$3.33
$2.33 A$3.24
3.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.13 A$9.92
$6.60 A$9.17
8.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.21 A$10.02
$7.08 A$9.84
1.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 A$2.03
$1.28 A$1.78
14.06%
White Bread (500g)
$2.61 A$3.63
$1.90 A$2.64
37.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 A$3.18
$1.82 A$2.53
25.82%
Eggs
$4.79 A$6.66
$4.34 A$6.03
10.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.13 A$12.69
$7.18 A$9.98
27.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.06 A$12.59
$8.92 A$12.41
1.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.98 A$20.82
$12.37 A$17.20
21.10%
Apples (1kg)
$3.27 A$4.54
$2.64 A$3.67
23.86%
Banana (1kg)
$2.87 A$3.99
$2.37 A$3.29
21.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 A$3.96
$3.51 A$4.87
-18.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 A$5.48
$3.86 A$5.37
2.33%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 A$3.73
$1.88 A$2.61
42.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.25
$1.78 A$2.47
31.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.22 A$3.09
$1.91 A$2.65
16.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 A$2.30
$1.67 A$2.32
-1.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.72 A$45.48
$23.34 A$32.45
40.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.40 A$20.01
$14.45 A$20.08
-0.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.52 A$6.29
$5.09 A$7.08
-11.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 A$7.33
$5.47 A$7.61
-3.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.63 A$5.05
$1.34 A$1.86
170.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$119 A$165
$37.89 A$52.7
212.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.48 A$4.84
$2.01 A$2.79
73.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 A$1.92
$1.40 A$1.95
-1.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.42 A$38.12
$32.96 A$45.82
-16.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 A$1.64
$1.18 A$1.64
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K A$39.5K
$28.6K A$39.8K
-0.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.2K A$32.3K
$21.5K A$29.9K
7.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 A$207
$130 A$181
14.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.91 A$29.06
$27.88 A$38.75
-25.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.2 A$71.2
$44.55 A$61.9
14.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.92 A$68.0
$49.72 A$69.1
-1.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.03 A$22.29
$15.87 A$22.05
1.01%
Cinema Ticket
$16.18 A$22.49
$13.17 A$18.31
22.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,733 A$2,409
$296 A$411
485.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.0K A$26.4K
$7,176 A$9,975
164.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.3 A$96.3
$60.6 A$84.2
14.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 A$75.5
$48.95 A$68.0
11.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 A$145
$90.4 A$126
15.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 A$143
$95.0 A$132
8.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,571 A$2,183
$1,081 A$1,502
45.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 A$1,647
$923 A$1,283
28.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,055 A$4,247
$1,726 A$2,399
77.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,946 A$2,704
$1,644 A$2,285
18.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,396 A$10.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,684 A$9,291
$5,136 A$7,139
30.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Sunshine Coast
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,242 A$5,897
$3,455 A$4,803
22.78%
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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Sunshine Coast: April 13, 2026

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

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