Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Missoula, MT and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Missoula, MT: $2,609 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Missoula, MT and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,609 in Missoula, MT versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Missoula, MT $2,609
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,087 in Missoula, MT versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Missoula, MT $4,087
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,565 in Missoula, MT versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Missoula, MT $5,565
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Missoula, MT costs roughly 8% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Missoula, MT 93% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.73 $16.73

$17.34 A$24.72

-3.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$82.7 A$118

-8.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.27 $9.27

$12.63 A$18.01

-26.60%

Cappuccino

$4.37 $4.37

$4.22 A$6.02

3.55%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.12 A$4.44

-0.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.48 A$3.54

-5.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$9.69 A$13.82

-39.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$8.30 A$11.83

-28.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 A$2.14

-25.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.08 A$4.39

11.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.64 A$3.77

88.64%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$5.58 A$7.95

-23.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.81 $24.81

$9.78 A$13.95

153.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 $9.67

$9.52 A$13.57

1.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 $18.98

$15.18 A$21.64

25.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.22 A$6.02

13.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.13 A$4.47

-53.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$3.24 A$4.62

100.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.71 A$6.71

-20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.13 A$4.46

-25.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.46 A$3.51

20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.40 A$3.42

0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.47 A$2.10

165.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.50 $10.50

$42.76 A$61.0

-75.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.82 $24.82

$12.90 A$18.39

92.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$5.53 A$7.88

-64.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.16 A$7.35

-15.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$201

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.75 A$5.35

36.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.99 $4.99

$1.44 A$2.06

246.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.29 $39.29

$28.93 A$41.25

35.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.45 A$2.07

-24.83%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$29.6K A$42.2K

9.24%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.3K A$37.4K

-6.52%

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

$139 $139

$229 A$326

-39.35%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$26.76 A$38.15

96.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$57.5 A$82.0

20.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.22 $49.22

$49.77 A$71.0

-1.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$21.45 A$30.58

3.73%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$17.43 A$24.85

-21.11%

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

$2,009 $2,009

$2,435 A$3,471

-17.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$33.6K A$47.9K

-47.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$80.4 A$115

-17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 $44.46

$51.5 A$73.4

-13.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$121 A$173

-13.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$134 A$190

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 $1,522

$1,748 A$2,492

-12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 $1,324

$1,386 A$1,976

-4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,992 $2,992

$3,468 A$4,944

-13.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$2,520 A$3,592

5.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,211 $4,211

$8,274 A$11.8K

-49.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,475 $3,475

$7,066 A$10.1K

-50.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,666 $3,666

$4,206 A$5,996

-12.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

5.97

14.57%

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

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 4.7% $63

Groceries & Markets

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 19.8% $95

Eating Out

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 13.6% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Missoula, MT

$261 10%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 20.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 6.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9%

Melbourne

$85 3% 10.3% $7.9

Getting Around

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 456% $137

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Missoula, MT and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 15% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Missoula, MT vs $83 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $383, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

12:23 12:23 PM

06:23 6:23 AM

18 h ahead of Missoula, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,489

5,031,195

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Missoula, MT Melbourne 13,720 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Missoula, MT
Melbourne

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

Missoula, MT vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,609 in Missoula, MT and $2,823 in Melbourne, so Missoula, MT is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Missoula, MT. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,522 in Missoula, MT versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,609 per month in Missoula, MT versus $2,823 in Melbourne – Missoula, MT is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Missoula, MT is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Missoula, MT and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Missoula, MT wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.