Cost of Living Comparison Between Muswellbrook and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Muswellbrook and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,166 in Muswellbrook versus $2,418 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,207 in Muswellbrook versus $3,660 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,249 in Muswellbrook versus $4,902 in Melbourne.

Living in Muswellbrook costs roughly 10% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muswellbrook 61% above, Melbourne 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.71 A$23.62

$19.16 A$27.07

-12.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 A$109

$79.0 A$112

-2.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 A$12.00

$10.05 A$14.19

-15.52%

Cappuccino

$3.31 A$4.68

$3.56 A$5.03

-7.02%

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

$2.86 A$4.05

$2.59 A$3.66

10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 A$2.84

$2.39 A$3.37

-15.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 A$9.28

$7.54 A$10.65

-12.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.59 A$9.31

$7.19 A$10.16

-8.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.52 A$2.15

-11.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 A$3.13

$2.53 A$3.58

-12.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.97

$2.26 A$3.19

-7.08%

Eggs

$3.91 A$5.52

$4.64 A$6.56

-15.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 A$12.94

$9.04 A$12.77

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.57 A$10.69

$9.51 A$13.44

-20.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.38 A$20.32

$14.73 A$20.82

-2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.60

$3.34 A$4.72

-2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.81

$2.84 A$4.01

-4.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.74

$2.89 A$4.09

-8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 A$5.37

$3.95 A$5.59

-3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.72

$2.77 A$3.91

-5.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.98

$2.35 A$3.32

-10.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 A$3.07

$2.12 A$2.99

2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 A$1.47

$1.58 A$2.24

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.72 A$42.00

$32.41 A$45.79

-8.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 A$20.31

$13.92 A$19.66

3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.10 A$5.79

$4.49 A$6.34

-8.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 A$4.47

$5.21 A$7.36

-39.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 A$3.64

$3.67 A$5.19

-29.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 A$90.6

$120 A$170

-46.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 A$3.19

$3.52 A$4.97

-36.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.39 A$1.96

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.37 A$52.8

$27.24 A$38.49

37.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.65

$1.18 A$1.67

-0.85%

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

$9,847 A$13.9K

$29.2K A$41.2K

-66.25%

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

$17.7K A$25.0K

$23.5K A$33.2K

-24.55%

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

$132 A$186

$152 A$215

-13.26%

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

$29.17 A$41.22

$20.95 A$29.60

39.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 A$81.7

$51.3 A$72.5

12.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.60 A$70.1

$48.31 A$68.3

2.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.83 A$22.36

$15.93 A$22.51

-0.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 A$17.63

$15.99 A$22.60

-22.01%

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

$901 A$1,273

$1,729 A$2,443

-47.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.0K

$19.5K A$27.5K

-38.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 A$90.6

$67.7 A$95.6

-5.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.92 A$62.1

$52.7 A$74.5

-16.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 A$127

$104 A$147

-13.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$104 A$146

6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 A$1,791

$1,530 A$2,162

-17.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 A$1,493

$1,230 A$1,738

-14.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 A$2,874

$2,959 A$4,181

-31.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 A$2,336

$1,978 A$2,795

-16.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,065 A$8,570

$6,928 A$9,789

-12.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,600 A$6,499

$6,056 A$8,556

-24.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,325 A$8,937

$4,479 A$6,329

41.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.19

9.05%

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

Last update for Muswellbrook: June 6, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,268 in Muswellbrook and $1,530 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muswellbrook pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Muswellbrook vs $79.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $353 per month, with Muswellbrook 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

Muswellbrook vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muswellbrook and Melbourne differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,166 vs $2,418 including rent). Muswellbrook is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Muswellbrook pays 41% 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: $1,268 in Muswellbrook versus $1,530 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $901 in Muswellbrook versus $1,729 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,166 in Muswellbrook versus $2,418 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Muswellbrook but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Muswellbrook 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, Muswellbrook 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 Muswellbrook gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.