Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moe and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Moe: $2,334 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Moe
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Moe Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Moe

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,334

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,334 in Moe versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

Moe $2,334
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,461 in Moe versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

Moe $3,461
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,588 in Moe versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

Moe $4,588
Melbourne $5,699

Living in Moe costs roughly 18% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Moe 71% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.15 A$20.20

$17.50 A$24.99

-19.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 A$112

$84.3 A$120

-6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 A$14.37

$12.17 A$17.38

-17.34%

Cappuccino

$3.76 A$5.36

$4.07 A$5.82

-7.62%

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

$3.04 A$4.34

$3.18 A$4.54

-4.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.98

$2.50 A$3.57

-44.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.24 A$7.49

$9.57 A$13.67

-45.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.95

$8.25 A$11.78

-40.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 A$1.15

$1.50 A$2.15

-46.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.10

$2.97 A$4.24

-3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.63

$2.68 A$3.83

-5.22%

Eggs

$3.45 A$4.93

$5.45 A$7.79

-36.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.39 A$14.84

$10.71 A$15.30

-2.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.15 A$11.63

$10.05 A$14.35

-18.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 A$21.62

$15.00 A$21.42

0.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$4.07 A$5.81

-29.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.96

$3.14 A$4.48

-11.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.23

$3.12 A$4.45

-5.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.36

$4.73 A$6.76

-5.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 A$3.08

$2.98 A$4.26

-27.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.65

$2.49 A$3.56

2.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 A$2.03

$1.60 A$2.28

-11.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.23 A$44.59

$44.65 A$63.8

-30.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 A$5.07

$5.55 A$7.92

-36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 A$4.93

$5.18 A$7.40

-33.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 A$3.84

$3.84 A$5.48

-29.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 A$121

$139 A$198

-38.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 A$3.34

$4.36 A$6.22

-46.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.02

$1.37 A$1.95

3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.61 A$35.15

$29.72 A$42.45

-17.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.68

$1.49 A$2.12

-20.81%

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

$29.4K A$42.0K

$29.1K A$41.5K

1.11%

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

$26.3K A$37.6K

$25.7K A$36.7K

2.61%

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

$157 A$224

$236 A$337

-33.35%

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

$27.69 A$39.55

$28.01 A$40.01

-1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.9 A$82.7

$57.2 A$81.7

1.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.0

$48.39 A$69.1

14.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 A$22.40

$21.46 A$30.65

-26.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.64 A$25.20

$17.67 A$25.23

-0.17%

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

$2,451 A$3,500

$2,461 A$3,515

-0.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K A$42.9K

$29.7K A$42.4K

1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.8 A$117

$81.2 A$116

0.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.33 A$70.5

$49.28 A$70.4

0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

0.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$131 A$187

1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 A$1,755

$1,703 A$2,432

-27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 A$1,641

$1,409 A$2,012

-18.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 A$3,558

$3,496 A$4,992

-28.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 A$2,701

$2,527 A$3,608

-25.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,872 A$8,386

$7,978 A$11.4K

-26.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,018 A$7,166

$6,900 A$9,854

-27.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,411 A$2,016

$4,257 A$6,079

-66.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Moe: October 24, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moe

$1.1K 49.2%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 22.6% $260

Groceries & Markets

Moe

$332 14.2%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 16.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moe

$243 10.4%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 32.3% $78

Eating Out

Moe

$242 10.4%

Melbourne

$312 11% 29.1% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Moe

$173 7.4%

Melbourne

$171 6% 0.7% $1.3

Getting Around

Moe

$105 4.5%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 57.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Moe

$91 3.9%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 7.6% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,229 in Moe and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Moe vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $386 per month, with Moe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Moe

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

Same time as Moe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,700

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Moe Melbourne 120 km

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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

Moe vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,334 in Moe and $2,849 in Melbourne, so Moe is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Moe. 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: $1,229 in Moe versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,451 in Moe versus $2,461 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Moe 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, Moe and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Moe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.