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 $2,435 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,162 in Muswellbrook versus $3,676 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,159 in Muswellbrook versus $4,918 in Melbourne.

Living in Muswellbrook costs roughly 11% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muswellbrook 63% above, Melbourne 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.87 A$24.23

$19.49 A$27.99

-13.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 A$114

$77.7 A$112

2.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 A$12.08

$9.84 A$14.13

-14.53%

Cappuccino

$3.37 A$4.85

$3.69 A$5.30

-8.67%

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

$2.91 A$4.19

$2.54 A$3.65

14.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 A$3.02

$2.34 A$3.37

-9.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 A$9.58

$7.36 A$10.58

-9.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 A$9.13

$7.10 A$10.20

-10.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.50 A$2.15

-9.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.58 A$3.70

-10.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.11

$2.34 A$3.36

-7.69%

Eggs

$3.78 A$5.42

$4.73 A$6.79

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.38

$9.05 A$12.99

2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 A$11.11

$9.12 A$13.10

-15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 A$20.70

$14.55 A$20.90

-0.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$3.27 A$4.69

-0.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 A$3.89

$2.81 A$4.03

-3.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.75

$2.90 A$4.17

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 A$5.41

$4.03 A$5.79

-6.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.95

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.34 A$3.37

-4.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$3.01

$2.12 A$3.04

-0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 A$1.51

$1.66 A$2.38

-36.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.77 A$42.77

$33.11 A$47.56

-10.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.99

$13.72 A$19.71

1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.15 A$5.97

$4.71 A$6.77

-11.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 A$4.61

$5.03 A$7.23

-36.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 A$3.78

$3.55 A$5.10

-25.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$93.2

$121 A$174

-46.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 A$3.21

$3.62 A$5.20

-38.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.31

$1.34 A$1.92

20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.53 A$53.9

$26.98 A$38.76

39.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 A$1.59

$1.18 A$1.69

-5.93%

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

$9,709 A$13.9K

$29.1K A$41.8K

-66.66%

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

$17.3K A$24.8K

$23.0K A$33.0K

-24.87%

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

$132 A$190

$151 A$217

-12.42%

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

$28.86 A$41.46

$21.41 A$30.75

34.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$81.2

$51.4 A$73.8

10.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.41 A$71.0

$49.75 A$71.5

-0.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.96 A$22.93

$16.05 A$23.05

-0.56%

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 A$18.54

$16.36 A$23.49

-21.09%

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

$898 A$1,290

$1,733 A$2,489

-48.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$17.0K

$19.0K A$27.2K

-37.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 A$92.9

$69.3 A$99.6

-6.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.10 A$64.8

$54.0 A$77.5

-16.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 A$132

$107 A$153

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

$104 A$149

5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 A$1,791

$1,541 A$2,214

-19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 A$1,512

$1,193 A$1,714

-11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 A$2,868

$2,997 A$4,304

-33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 A$2,413

$1,998 A$2,869

-15.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,409 A$9,205

$7,244 A$10.4K

-11.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 A$6,299

$6,339 A$9,106

-30.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,418 A$9,219

$4,354 A$6,254

47.41%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,247 in Muswellbrook and $1,541 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Muswellbrook pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Muswellbrook vs $78.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $321 vs $353, with Muswellbrook cheaper for home cooking.

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 $2,435 including rent). Muswellbrook is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Muswellbrook, 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: $1,247 in Muswellbrook versus $1,541 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $898 in Muswellbrook versus $1,733 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,166 in Muswellbrook versus $2,435 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.