Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Victoria and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Victoria: $2,706 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Mount Victoria
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Mount Victoria Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Mount Victoria

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,706

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,706 in Mount Victoria versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

Mount Victoria $2,706
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,821 in Mount Victoria versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

Mount Victoria $3,821
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,935 in Mount Victoria versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

Mount Victoria $4,935
Melbourne $5,699

Living in Mount Victoria costs roughly 5% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Victoria 99% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.07 A$30.10

$17.50 A$24.99

20.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 A$127

$84.3 A$120

5.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$15.16

$12.17 A$17.38

-12.74%

Cappuccino

$4.04 A$5.77

$4.07 A$5.82

-0.74%

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

$3.06 A$4.37

$3.18 A$4.54

-3.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.70

$2.50 A$3.57

3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.56 A$12.23

$9.57 A$13.67

-10.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.09 A$14.41

$8.25 A$11.78

22.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 A$2.19

$1.50 A$2.15

2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 A$4.65

$2.97 A$4.24

9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.74

$2.68 A$3.83

-2.24%

Eggs

$5.18 A$7.39

$5.45 A$7.79

-4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 A$18.38

$10.71 A$15.30

20.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 A$14.47

$10.05 A$14.35

0.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 A$22.31

$15.00 A$21.42

4.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.64

$4.07 A$5.81

-2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.65

$3.14 A$4.48

3.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 A$5.16

$3.12 A$4.45

15.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 A$7.11

$4.73 A$6.76

5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.41

$2.98 A$4.26

3.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.92

$2.49 A$3.56

10.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 A$3.68

$2.48 A$3.54

4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.91

$1.60 A$2.28

-16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.43 A$64.9

$44.65 A$63.8

1.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$20.06

$12.68 A$18.11

10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 A$6.72

$5.55 A$7.92

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 A$8.05

$5.18 A$7.40

8.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$4.06

$3.84 A$5.48

-26.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.6 A$117

$139 A$198

-41.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 A$5.85

$4.36 A$6.22

-5.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.37 A$1.95

15.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.03 A$61.5

$29.72 A$42.45

44.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.49 A$2.12

-8.72%

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

$27.7K A$39.5K

$29.1K A$41.5K

-4.84%

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

$26.7K A$38.1K

$25.7K A$36.7K

3.85%

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

$180 A$257

$236 A$337

-23.64%

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

$26.84 A$38.33

$28.01 A$40.01

-4.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.2 A$78.8

$57.2 A$81.7

-3.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.7 A$76.7

$48.39 A$69.1

10.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.52 A$23.59

$21.46 A$30.65

-23.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.50 A$22.13

$17.67 A$25.23

-12.28%

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

$2,500 A$3,570

$2,461 A$3,515

1.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K A$29.5K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-30.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 A$110

$81.2 A$116

-5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 A$82.1

$49.28 A$70.4

16.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$152

$120 A$171

-11.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$131 A$187

2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 A$1,863

$1,703 A$2,432

-23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 A$1,934

$1,409 A$2,012

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 A$3,481

$3,496 A$4,992

-30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 A$2,635

$2,527 A$3,608

-26.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,693 A$9,559

$7,978 A$11.4K

-16.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,498 A$7,852

$6,900 A$9,854

-20.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,184 A$5,976

$4,257 A$6,079

-1.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.9

0.85%

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

Last update for Mount Victoria: October 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mount Victoria

$1.4K 50%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 4% $55

Groceries & Markets

Mount Victoria

$398 14.7%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 2.9% $11

Eating Out

Mount Victoria

$334 12.4%

Melbourne

$312 11% 6.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Victoria

$262 9.7%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 22.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Victoria

$168 6.2%

Melbourne

$171 6% 1.8% $3

Getting Around

Mount Victoria

$105 3.9%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 57.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Victoria

$85 3.1%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 1.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,304 in Mount Victoria and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Mount Victoria vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $386 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mount Victoria

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

Same time as Mount Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

989

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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mount Victoria Melbourne 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mount Victoria
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

Mount Victoria vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,706 in Mount Victoria and $2,849 in Melbourne, so Mount Victoria is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,060 in Mount Victoria and $4,273 in Melbourne 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,304 in Mount Victoria versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,500 in Mount Victoria versus $2,461 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Mount Victoria 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, Mount Victoria and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.