Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Modesto, CA: $2,631 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
Learn more

Modesto, CA Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,631

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,631 in Modesto, CA versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Modesto, CA $2,631
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,034 in Modesto, CA versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Modesto, CA $4,034
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,438 in Modesto, CA versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Modesto, CA $5,438
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Modesto, CA costs roughly 7% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Modesto, CA 95% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$17.43 A$25.08

-13.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 $81.6

$84.6 A$122

-3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 $8.75

$12.46 A$17.92

-29.78%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$4.11 A$5.91

31.63%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$3.06 A$4.40

-15.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.52 A$3.62

-34.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$9.80 A$14.10

-49.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 $7.06

$8.57 A$12.33

-17.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.48 A$2.14

-29.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.94 A$4.23

21.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.66 A$3.82

56.02%

Eggs

$5.76 $5.76

$5.54 A$7.97

3.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 $12.62

$10.51 A$15.13

20.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.79 $13.79

$9.65 A$13.89

42.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$15.22 A$21.91

32.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$3.99 A$5.75

32.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$3.02 A$4.34

-33.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.10 A$4.46

73.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$4.82 A$6.93

17.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.03 A$4.36

17.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.44 A$3.52

20.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.46 A$3.54

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.63 A$2.34

50.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$44.07 A$63.4

-73.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$12.70 A$18.28

19.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$5.54 A$7.97

-67.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.23 A$7.52

-36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.74 A$5.38

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.72 $40.72

$138 A$198

-70.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.51 A$6.50

-23.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.36 A$1.96

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.97 $29.97

$30.45 A$43.81

-1.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.47 A$2.12

-3.40%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$29.0K A$41.7K

24.71%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-0.21%

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

$258 $258

$234 A$336

10.29%

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

$48.59 $48.59

$27.93 A$40.19

73.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$55.7 A$80.2

21.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.73 $40.73

$49.40 A$71.1

-17.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 $15.17

$21.48 A$30.91

-29.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.10 $11.10

$15.09 A$21.72

-26.44%

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

$1,804 $1,804

$2,371 A$3,412

-23.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.4K $39.4K

$30.2K A$43.5K

30.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.31 $48.31

$80.0 A$115

-39.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.38 $39.38

$50.7 A$73.0

-22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 $94.8

$121 A$174

-21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$130 A$188

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$1,759 A$2,531

-17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 $1,279

$1,390 A$2,000

-7.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,495 $2,495

$3,494 A$5,027

-28.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,460 $2,460

$2,493 A$3,588

-1.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,276 $3,276

$6,926 A$9,967

-52.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,273 $3,273

$6,445 A$9,274

-49.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,120 $4,120

$4,383 A$6,307

-5.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.9

3.39%

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

Last update for Modesto, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Modesto, CA

$1.3K 48.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 8.6% $110

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$443 16.8%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 13.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$374 14.2%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 15.1% $57

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$267 10.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 17.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$137 5.2%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 25.8% $35

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.6%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 143% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$63 2.4%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 26.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,453 in Modesto, CA and $1,759 in Melbourne. 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: $82.0 in Modesto, CA vs $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $443 vs $384, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

00:31 12:31 AM

18 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

5,031,195

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Modesto, CA Melbourne 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, CA
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

Modesto, CA vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Modesto, CA and Melbourne differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,631 vs $2,821 including rent). Modesto, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Melbourne. 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: $1,453 in Modesto, CA versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,804 in Modesto, CA versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Modesto, CA 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, Modesto, CA and Melbourne 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 Modesto, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.