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: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,168 in Wagga Wagga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $2,886 in Wagga Wagga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $3,604 in Wagga Wagga.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than Wagga Wagga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Wagga Wagga 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$12.91 A$17.98

52.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$86.3 A$120

-8.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$9.62 A$13.40

0.83%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$3.43 A$4.79

6.71%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.61 A$3.63

-0.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.24 A$3.12

4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$6.57 A$9.16

9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$7.32 A$10.20

-4.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.36 A$1.90

6.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.70 A$3.76

-1.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$1.86 A$2.60

25.81%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$4.20 A$5.85

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$9.77 A$13.61

-10.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$6.41 A$8.94

47.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$14.60 A$20.35

-1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$3.29 A$4.59

1.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$2.85 A$3.97

-2.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$2.98 A$4.15

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$4.77 A$6.64

-17.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$2.29 A$3.19

17.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$2.19 A$3.06

7.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$2.49 A$3.47

-14.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$1.27 A$1.78

28.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$30.82 A$42.94

5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$14.99 A$20.89

-5.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$5.23 A$7.29

-11.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$5.93 A$8.27

-15.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.62 A$3.65

33.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$64.1 A$89.4

87.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$3.95 A$5.50

-11.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$1.76 A$2.45

-23.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$16.32 A$22.74

65.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.08 A$1.50

10.19%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$28.3K A$39.5K

3.85%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$22.6K A$31.4K

4.50%

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

$150 A$209

$122 A$169

23.38%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$22.75 A$31.70

-6.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$51.7 A$72.0

-2.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$49.19 A$68.6

-0.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$15.96 A$22.24

2.57%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$13.47 A$18.77

21.97%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$1,283 A$1,788

37.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$13.2K A$18.4K

45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$69.7 A$97.1

-2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$55.6 A$77.5

-4.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$100 A$140

6.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$116 A$162

-10.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,288 A$1,795

22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$1,072 A$1,494

11.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$1,366 A$1,904

123.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$1,048 A$1,460

89.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$3,538 A$4,930

108.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$2,522 A$3,515

158.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$3,643 A$5,077

23.86%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Wagga Wagga: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,288 in Wagga Wagga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $86.0 in Wagga Wagga. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $344, 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 11% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,168 including rent). Wagga Wagga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 24% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,288 in Wagga Wagga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $1,283 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 $2,168 in Wagga Wagga versus $2,416 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 11% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.