Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Tarneit Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Tarneit

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,418 in Melbourne versus $2,277 in Tarneit.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,660 in Melbourne versus $3,341 in Tarneit.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,902 in Melbourne versus $4,405 in Tarneit.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 6% more expensive than Tarneit, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.16 A$27.07

$16.21 A$22.90

18.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$78.8 A$111

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 A$14.19

$9.85 A$13.92

2.03%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$5.03

$3.37 A$4.76

5.64%

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

$2.59 A$3.66

$2.57 A$3.63

0.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.37

$2.17 A$3.07

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 A$10.65

$6.59 A$9.31

14.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.16

$7.32 A$10.34

-1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.15

$1.42 A$2.00

7.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.58

$2.35 A$3.32

7.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.19

$2.04 A$2.88

10.78%

Eggs

$4.64 A$6.56

$4.37 A$6.18

6.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.77

$8.74 A$12.34

3.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.44

$8.30 A$11.73

14.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 A$20.82

$13.63 A$19.26

8.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.72

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$2.82 A$3.98

0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.09

$2.87 A$4.06

0.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.59

$4.10 A$5.79

-3.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.91

$2.43 A$3.44

13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.32

$2.12 A$3.00

10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$2.99

$2.11 A$2.98

0.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.24

$1.57 A$2.22

0.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.41 A$45.79

$30.52 A$43.12

6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.66

$13.06 A$18.45

6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.49 A$6.34

$4.54 A$6.41

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.36

$5.50 A$7.78

-5.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 A$5.19

$2.65 A$3.75

38.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$170

$64.3 A$90.9

87.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.97

$3.68 A$5.19

-4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.96

$1.62 A$2.29

-14.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.24 A$38.49

$33.49 A$47.32

-18.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.15 A$1.62

2.61%

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

$29.2K A$41.2K

$28.4K A$40.1K

2.89%

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

$23.5K A$33.2K

$22.6K A$31.9K

3.83%

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

$152 A$215

$186 A$263

-18.32%

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

$20.95 A$29.60

$26.99 A$38.14

-22.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 A$72.5

$52.6 A$74.3

-2.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.31 A$68.3

$49.46 A$69.9

-2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 A$22.51

$15.42 A$21.78

3.31%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.60

$13.11 A$18.52

21.97%

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

$1,729 A$2,443

$1,637 A$2,313

5.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.5K

$12.2K A$17.2K

59.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 A$95.6

$67.2 A$94.9

0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 A$74.5

$49.77 A$70.3

5.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$147

$99.6 A$141

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$146

$106 A$150

-2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 A$2,162

$1,266 A$1,789

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,738

$1,051 A$1,485

17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 A$4,181

$2,050 A$2,896

44.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,795

$1,707 A$2,413

15.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,928 A$9,789

$6,038 A$8,531

14.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,056 A$8,556

$5,159 A$7,289

17.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,479 A$6,329

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.34

-2.37%

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

Last update for Melbourne: June 9, 2026

Last update for Tarneit: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,530 in Melbourne and $1,266 in Tarneit. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $79.0 in Tarneit. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $336, with Tarneit 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 Tarneit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Tarneit differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,418 vs $2,277 including rent). Tarneit is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,627 in Melbourne and $3,416 in Tarneit to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,530 in Melbourne versus $1,266 in Tarneit. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,729 in Melbourne versus $1,637 in Tarneit. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,277 in Tarneit versus $2,418 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Tarneit but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Tarneit 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 Tarneit 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 Tarneit gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.