Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penrith and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Penrith: $2,604 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Penrith
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Penrith Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Penrith

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,604

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,604 in Penrith versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Penrith $2,604
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,652 in Penrith versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Penrith $3,652
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,701 in Penrith versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Penrith $4,701
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Penrith costs roughly 8% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Penrith 93% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 A$30.26

$17.43 A$25.08

20.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 A$129

$84.6 A$122

6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 A$15.19

$12.46 A$17.92

-15.25%

Cappuccino

$2.04 A$2.93

$4.11 A$5.91

-50.36%

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

$3.16 A$4.54

$3.06 A$4.40

3.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 A$3.69

$2.52 A$3.62

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 A$12.33

$9.80 A$14.10

-12.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.14

$8.57 A$12.33

-42.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.48 A$2.14

6.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 A$4.78

$2.94 A$4.23

12.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.65

$2.66 A$3.82

-4.51%

Eggs

$5.16 A$7.42

$5.54 A$7.97

-6.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 A$18.82

$10.51 A$15.13

24.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 A$14.02

$9.65 A$13.89

0.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 A$22.16

$15.22 A$21.91

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 A$5.65

$3.99 A$5.75

-1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$3.02 A$4.34

1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.04

$3.10 A$4.46

12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 A$7.65

$4.82 A$6.93

10.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.56

$3.03 A$4.36

4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.02

$2.44 A$3.52

14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.57

$2.46 A$3.54

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.93

$1.63 A$2.34

-17.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.42 A$65.4

$44.07 A$63.4

3.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 A$20.24

$12.70 A$18.28

10.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 A$6.65

$5.54 A$7.97

-16.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 A$8.11

$5.23 A$7.52

7.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 A$4.57

$3.74 A$5.38

-15.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$113

$138 A$198

-42.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.92

$4.51 A$6.50

-8.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.36 A$1.96

15.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 A$61.3

$30.45 A$43.81

40.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.70

$1.47 A$2.12

-19.73%

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

$27.1K A$39.0K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-6.58%

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

$30.0K A$43.2K

$26.5K A$38.1K

13.37%

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

$183 A$263

$234 A$336

-21.81%

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

$26.16 A$37.65

$27.93 A$40.19

-6.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$79.7

$55.7 A$80.2

-0.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 A$73.4

$49.40 A$71.1

3.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.42

$21.48 A$30.91

-17.78%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 A$22.86

$15.09 A$21.72

5.24%

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

$2,390 A$3,439

$2,371 A$3,412

0.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K A$28.7K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-34.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.3 A$108

$80.0 A$115

-5.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 A$80.8

$50.7 A$73.0

10.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$155

$121 A$174

-10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$130 A$188

2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 A$1,973

$1,759 A$2,531

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,855

$1,390 A$2,000

-7.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 A$3,082

$3,494 A$5,027

-38.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 A$2,427

$2,493 A$3,588

-32.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,992 A$7,184

$6,926 A$9,967

-27.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,361 A$6,275

$6,445 A$9,274

-32.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

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 Penrith: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penrith

$1.3K 49.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 7.8% $100

Groceries & Markets

Penrith

$396 15.2%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 3.1% $12

Eating Out

Penrith

$300 11.5%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 4.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penrith

$264 10.2%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 20.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Penrith

$168 6.5%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 2.2% $3.7

Getting Around

Penrith

$103 4%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 58.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Penrith

$83 3.2%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 3.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Penrith and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Penrith vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $384 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Penrith

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

Same time as Penrith

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,343

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Penrith Melbourne 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Penrith
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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

Penrith vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penrith and Melbourne differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,604 vs $2,821 including rent). Penrith is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,905 in Penrith and $4,231 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: $1,371 in Penrith versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,390 in Penrith versus $2,371 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 $2,000. Penrith 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, Penrith 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 Penrith gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.