Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Williamsburg, VA

For one person, living costs are similar in Melbourne and in Williamsburg, VA: $2,849 and $2,806 a month, rent and utilities included.

Melbourne, Australia
Williamsburg, VA, United States
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,849
/mo nomad
Williamsburg, VA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,806
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Williamsburg, 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 Williamsburg, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,806 in Williamsburg, VA.

  • Melbourne $2,849
  • Williamsburg, VA $2,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $4,178 in Williamsburg, VA.

  • Melbourne $4,274
  • Williamsburg, VA $4,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $5,550 in Williamsburg, VA.

  • Melbourne $5,699
  • Williamsburg, VA $5,550

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Williamsburg, VA 106% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50 A$24.86
$19.23 $19.23
-9.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.3 A$120
$74.3 $74.3
13.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.17 A$17.29
$13.04 $13.04
-6.67%
Cappuccino
$4.07 A$5.79
$5.46 $5.46
-25.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 A$4.52
$2.80 $2.80
13.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 A$3.55
$2.21 $2.21
13.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.57 A$13.60
$4.90 $4.90
95.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.25 A$11.72
$7.47 $7.47
10.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 A$2.14
$1.05 $1.05
42.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.97 A$4.22
$3.99 $3.99
-25.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.68 A$3.81
$3.79 $3.79
-29.29%
Eggs
$5.45 A$7.75
$3.48 $3.48
56.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.71 A$15.22
$13.13 $13.13
-18.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.05 A$14.28
$8.14 $8.14
23.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.00 A$21.31
$15.12 $15.12
-0.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 A$5.78
$5.39 $5.39
-24.49%
Banana (1kg)
$3.14 A$4.46
$1.36 $1.36
130.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.12 A$4.43
$4.63 $4.63
-32.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 A$6.72
$3.55 $3.55
33.24%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 A$4.23
$5.72 $5.72
-47.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.49 A$3.55
$3.39 $3.39
-26.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.53
$1.54 $1.54
61.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 A$2.27
$1.72 $1.72
-6.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.65 A$63.4
$6.23 $6.23
616.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.68 A$18.02
$10.58 $10.58
19.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.55 A$7.88
$2.24 $2.24
147.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 A$7.37
$3.77 $3.77
37.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.84 A$5.45
$1.51 $1.51
154.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 A$197
$44.32 $44.32
212.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.36 A$6.19
$3.05 $3.05
42.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 A$1.94
$1.44 $1.44
-4.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 A$42.23
$22.73 $22.73
30.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 A$2.11
$0.86 $0.86
73.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$41.3K
$35.9K $35.9K
-19.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K A$36.5K
$25.7K $25.7K
-0.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$236 A$335
$189 $189
24.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.01 A$39.80
$48.02 $48.02
-41.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.2 A$81.3
$59.9 $59.9
-4.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.39 A$68.8
$93.4 $93.4
-48.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.46 A$30.50
$24.89 $24.89
-13.78%
Cinema Ticket
$17.67 A$25.10
$14.90 $14.90
18.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,461 A$3,497
$1,874 $1,874
31.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K A$42.2K
$24.1K $24.1K
23.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.2 A$115
$37.27 $37.27
117.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.28 A$70.0
$35.35 $35.35
39.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 A$170
$84.6 $84.6
41.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 A$186
$152 $152
-13.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,703 A$2,419
$2,283 $2,283
-25.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,409 A$2,002
$1,501 $1,501
-6.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,496 A$4,967
$2,667 $2,667
31.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,527 A$3,590
$2,641 $2,641
-4.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,978 A$11.3K
$2,136 $2,136
273.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,900 A$9,805
$1,712 $1,712
302.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Williamsburg, VA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,257 A$6,049
$4,337 $4,337
-1.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
6.5
-9.23%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Williamsburg, VA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Williamsburg, VA
$1.5K 6.6% $92
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$386
Williamsburg, VA
$367 5% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$321
Williamsburg, VA
$297 7.4% $24
Eating Out
Melbourne
$312
Williamsburg, VA
$318 1.7% $5.5
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$171
Williamsburg, VA
$139 19% $32
Getting Around
Melbourne
$165
Williamsburg, VA
$61 63.3% $105
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$84
Williamsburg, VA
$123 47.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $2,283 in Williamsburg, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $74 in Williamsburg, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $367 per month, with Williamsburg, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇺🇸 Williamsburg, VA
🕒 Local time
09:11 9:11 AM
18:11 6:11 PM
15 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
15,425
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Williamsburg, VA 16,370 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Williamsburg, 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 Williamsburg, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Melbourne compared to Williamsburg, VA?
You’d need roughly $4,273 in Melbourne and $4,209 in Williamsburg, 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Melbourne and in Williamsburg, VA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $2,283 in Williamsburg, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Melbourne and in Williamsburg, VA?
A monthly transit pass in Williamsburg, VA runs roughly 68% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Williamsburg, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Melbourne and Williamsburg, VA?
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.

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