Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Oulu and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,896 in Oulu versus $2,465 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,071 in Oulu versus $3,636 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,246 in Oulu versus $4,806 in Melbourne.

Living in Oulu costs roughly 23% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oulu 42% above, Melbourne 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.23 €13.86

$19.34 A$26.88

-16.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 €99.2

$78.4 A$109

48.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.64 €12.51

$10.03 A$13.94

45.96%

Cappuccino

$4.89 €4.18

$3.62 A$5.04

35.08%

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

$3.07 €2.62

$2.61 A$3.63

17.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.31 A$3.21

-1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 €7.00

$7.43 A$10.32

10.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 €7.04

$7.20 A$10.00

14.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.46 A$2.03

-19.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.23

$2.66 A$3.70

-1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.41

$2.32 A$3.22

21.55%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.89

$4.68 A$6.51

-27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 €6.68

$9.20 A$12.78

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.43 €13.18

$9.36 A$13.01

64.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.80 €18.61

$14.69 A$20.42

48.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.11

$3.21 A$4.46

-23.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.82

$2.78 A$3.87

-23.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.66

$2.96 A$4.11

-34.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.54

$4.09 A$5.69

1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 €0.98

$2.70 A$3.76

-57.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 €1.48

$2.35 A$3.26

-26.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 €2.21

$2.21 A$3.08

16.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.66 A$2.30

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 €9.89

$32.79 A$45.58

-64.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 €12.25

$14.59 A$20.28

-1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 €3.08

$4.72 A$6.56

-23.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 €3.24

$5.09 A$7.08

-25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 €2.82

$3.61 A$5.02

-8.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.7 €51.0

$118 A$163

-49.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 €6.32

$3.68 A$5.11

101.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 €1.58

$1.39 A$1.94

33.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$66.1 €56.4

$27.58 A$38.34

139.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.83

$1.19 A$1.65

79.83%

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

$33.3K €28.4K

$29.3K A$40.7K

13.54%

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

$38.0K €32.4K

$23.7K A$32.9K

60.37%

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

$111 €94.8

$152 A$211

-26.78%

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

$31.65 €27.03

$21.15 A$29.40

49.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.80 €23.74

$49.94 A$69.4

-44.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.34 €30.18

$49.19 A$68.4

-28.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.17 €27.47

$16.15 A$22.45

99.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.07 €14.57

$15.99 A$22.22

6.75%

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

$364 €311

$1,756 A$2,441

-79.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,697

$19.2K A$26.7K

-40.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 €78.1

$66.9 A$92.9

36.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.28 €41.24

$53.9 A$75.0

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.5

$106 A$147

7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$209 €179

$103 A$143

103.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 €643

$1,568 A$2,180

-52.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$694 €593

$1,183 A$1,644

-41.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 €1,201

$3,038 A$4,223

-53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €930

$2,022 A$2,811

-46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,212 €3,597

$7,557 A$10.5K

-44.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 €1,627

$6,527 A$9,073

-70.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,608 €2,228

$4,490 A$6,242

-41.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

6.19

-37.48%

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

Last update for Oulu: April 28, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Oulu and $1,568 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 72% 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: $116 in Oulu vs $78.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $357 per month, with Melbourne 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

Oulu vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oulu and Melbourne differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,896 vs $2,465 including rent). Oulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Melbourne earns 72% less. 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: $753 in Oulu versus $1,568 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $364 in Oulu versus $1,756 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,896 in Oulu versus $2,465 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oulu but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Oulu 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, Oulu 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 Oulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.