Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Virginia Beach, VA

For one person, living costs are similar in Melbourne and in Virginia Beach, VA: $2,849 and $2,871 a month, rent and utilities included.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Virginia Beach, VA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Virginia Beach, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Melbourne $2,849
Virginia Beach, VA $2,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $4,064 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Melbourne $4,274
Virginia Beach, VA $4,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $5,257 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Melbourne $5,699
Virginia Beach, VA $5,257

Monthly costs are close between Melbourne and Virginia Beach, VA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Virginia Beach, VA 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$18.35 $18.35

-4.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$90.9 $90.9

-7.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$12.22 $12.22

-0.41%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$6.00 $6.00

-32.17%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.81 $2.81

13.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.16 $2.16

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$6.02 $6.02

58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$7.19 $7.19

14.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.04 $1.04

44.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$3.08 $3.08

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$5.47 $5.47

-51.01%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$4.74 $4.74

14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$10.49 $10.49

2.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$9.62 $9.62

4.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$18.16 $18.16

-17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$2.52 $2.52

61.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$1.61 $1.61

95.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$5.13 $5.13

-39.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$5.77 $5.77

-18.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$2.28 $2.28

30.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$4.51 $4.51

-44.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.78 $1.78

39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.37 $2.37

-32.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$9.57 $9.57

366.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$12.18 $12.18

4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$1.75 $1.75

217.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$2.20 $2.20

135.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$2.03 $2.03

89.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$70.8 $70.8

95.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$4.56 $4.56

-4.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.32 $1.32

3.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$19.82 $19.82

49.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.02 $1.02

46.08%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

7.15%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.46%

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

$236 A$335

$208 $208

13.52%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$59.8 $59.8

-53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$66.9 $66.9

-14.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$25.57 $25.57

89.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

$35.66 $35.66

-39.82%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$9.49 $9.49

86.20%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$1,620 $1,620

51.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$16.1K $16.1K

84.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$61.8 $61.8

31.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$47.94 $47.94

2.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$117 $117

1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$114 $114

15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

$1,966 $1,966

-13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$1,553 $1,553

-9.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$2,867 $2,867

21.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$2,246 $2,246

12.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$2,706 $2,706

194.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

$2,334 $2,334

195.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$4,353 $4,353

-2.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.57

-10.20%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.6K 54.1% 10.2% $144

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Virginia Beach, VA

$377 13.1% 2.6% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Virginia Beach, VA

$334 11.6% 4.2% $13

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Virginia Beach, VA

$320 11.1% 2.4% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Virginia Beach, VA

$153 5.3% 10.5% $18

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Virginia Beach, VA

$90 3.1% 45.5% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Virginia Beach, VA

$45 1.6% 46.8% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $91 in Virginia Beach, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $377, with Virginia Beach, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

15 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

459,470

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Virginia Beach, VA 16,420 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Virginia Beach, VA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Virginia Beach, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $4,273 in Melbourne and $4,307 in Virginia Beach, VA 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Virginia Beach, VA runs roughly 49% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Virginia Beach, VA pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.