Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Wodonga Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Wodonga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,299 in Wodonga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,334 in Wodonga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,369 in Wodonga.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 5% more expensive than Wodonga, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Wodonga 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.67

$16.12 A$22.58

22.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$79.2 A$111

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.60

$9.79 A$13.72

-0.92%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.13

$2.53 A$3.55

44.66%

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

$2.60 A$3.65

$2.55 A$3.57

1.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.28

$1.97 A$2.75

18.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.05

$4.66 A$6.53

53.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.79

$7.57 A$10.61

-7.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.03

$1.42 A$1.99

2.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.73

$2.69 A$3.77

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.27

$1.78 A$2.50

31.46%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.73

$4.10 A$5.75

17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.28

$9.92 A$13.90

-11.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.22

$8.94 A$12.53

5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.21

$14.75 A$20.67

-2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.67

$3.26 A$4.57

2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.89

$2.89 A$4.05

-4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.20

$2.97 A$4.16

1.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.53

$4.72 A$6.62

-16.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.75

$2.31 A$3.24

16.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.30

$2.10 A$2.94

12.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.99

$2.45 A$3.44

-12.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.29

$1.29 A$1.81

26.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.46

$31.00 A$43.43

4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.76

$15.00 A$21.02

-5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.51

$5.03 A$7.05

-7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.06

$6.12 A$8.57

-17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.89

$2.61 A$3.66

33.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$168

$64.9 A$90.9

84.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.90

$4.01 A$5.62

-12.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.88

$1.74 A$2.44

-22.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.75

$40.98 A$57.4

-34.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.67

$1.18 A$1.65

0.85%

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

$29.4K A$41.2K

$29.0K A$40.6K

1.55%

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

$23.6K A$33.0K

$22.7K A$31.8K

3.77%

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

$150 A$210

$226 A$317

-33.67%

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

$21.16 A$29.65

$30.12 A$42.20

-29.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.5

$52.5 A$73.6

-4.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.9

$48.58 A$68.1

1.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.94

$15.42 A$21.61

6.16%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$23.03

$13.86 A$19.42

18.54%

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

$1,764 A$2,471

$1,718 A$2,408

2.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.9K

$13.4K A$18.8K

42.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.7

$71.6 A$100

-4.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.7

$56.8 A$79.6

-6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$149

$99.2 A$139

7.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$116 A$163

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,203

$1,274 A$1,785

23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,674

$1,060 A$1,485

12.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,270

$2,038 A$2,856

49.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,788

$1,655 A$2,320

20.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,146

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,323

$4,257 A$5,964

6.00%

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 Wodonga: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,274 in Wodonga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 6% 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 $79.0 in Wodonga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $356 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

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 Wodonga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Wodonga differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,299 including rent). Wodonga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 6% 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 $1,274 in Wodonga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $1,718 in Wodonga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,299 in Wodonga versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wodonga but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Wodonga 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 Wodonga 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 Wodonga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.