Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Wagga Wagga Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Wagga Wagga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,147 in Wagga Wagga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $2,863 in Wagga Wagga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $3,578 in Wagga Wagga.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 13% more expensive than in Wagga Wagga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Wagga Wagga 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.73

$12.45 A$17.84

55.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$87.1 A$125

-11.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.11

$9.98 A$14.29

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.34

$3.45 A$4.95

8.12%

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

$2.62 A$3.75

$2.61 A$3.75

0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$2.24 A$3.21

1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.54

$6.33 A$9.07

16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.94

$7.42 A$10.63

-6.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.38 A$1.98

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.66 A$3.82

-3.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.77 A$2.54

32.20%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$4.04 A$5.79

20.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.50

$9.84 A$14.09

-11.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$6.45 A$9.24

43.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.89

$14.75 A$21.13

-1.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$3.22 A$4.61

3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$2.94 A$4.21

-4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$4.85 A$6.95

-17.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.28 A$3.26

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.12 A$3.03

5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$2.45 A$3.50

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.35 A$1.93

21.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.77

$31.21 A$44.71

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.94

$14.37 A$20.59

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$5.25 A$7.53

-11.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.22

$5.81 A$8.33

-13.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.02

$2.59 A$3.70

35.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$64.1 A$91.8

88.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$4.03 A$5.77

-11.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.74 A$2.50

-19.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.39

$15.79 A$22.62

74.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.14 A$1.63

0.88%

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

$29.2K A$41.8K

$28.5K A$40.8K

2.44%

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

$23.0K A$32.9K

$22.6K A$32.3K

1.65%

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

$154 A$220

$124 A$177

24.48%

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

$20.93 A$29.99

$22.60 A$32.38

-7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$52.1 A$74.6

-1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$49.45 A$70.8

-1.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.27

$15.54 A$22.27

4.50%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.88

$13.85 A$19.84

15.31%

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

$1,765 A$2,529

$1,278 A$1,830

38.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$28.0K

$13.5K A$19.3K

44.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.1

$72.2 A$103

-7.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$55.8 A$79.9

-2.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$99.6 A$143

6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$149

$113 A$162

-8.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,257

$1,241 A$1,779

26.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,728

$1,064 A$1,524

13.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,357

$1,411 A$2,022

115.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,897

$1,036 A$1,484

95.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$3,520 A$5,043

101.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,198

$2,376 A$3,405

170.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,301

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.29

-1.59%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Wagga Wagga: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $1,241 in Wagga Wagga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $87.0 in Wagga Wagga. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $343, with Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Wagga Wagga differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,147 including rent). Wagga Wagga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,630 in Melbourne and $3,221 in Wagga Wagga 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $1,241 in Wagga Wagga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,765 in Melbourne versus $1,278 in Wagga Wagga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,147 in Wagga Wagga versus $2,420 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wagga Wagga but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.