Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Hedland and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Hedland: $2,517 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Port Hedland
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Port Hedland Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,517

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,517 in Port Hedland versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Port Hedland $2,517
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,643 in Port Hedland versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Port Hedland $3,643
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,770 in Port Hedland versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Port Hedland $4,770
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Port Hedland costs roughly 11% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Hedland 86% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 A$25.00

$17.34 A$24.82

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$121

$82.7 A$118

1.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.29

$12.63 A$18.08

-15.44%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.79

$4.22 A$6.04

-4.03%

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

$2.93 A$4.20

$3.12 A$4.46

-6.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.28

$2.48 A$3.55

-7.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 A$11.21

$9.69 A$13.87

-19.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 A$11.02

$8.30 A$11.88

-7.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.50 A$2.15

5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 A$3.96

$3.08 A$4.40

-10.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.19

$2.64 A$3.78

-15.53%

Eggs

$4.84 A$6.92

$5.58 A$7.98

-13.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$12.97

$9.78 A$14.01

-7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 A$13.27

$9.52 A$13.63

-2.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 A$20.71

$15.18 A$21.73

-4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.33

$4.22 A$6.04

-11.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.38

$3.13 A$4.48

-2.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.76

$3.24 A$4.64

2.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.77

$4.71 A$6.74

0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$3.13 A$4.48

-14.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$2.46 A$3.52

-2.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.43

$2.40 A$3.44

-0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.28

$1.47 A$2.11

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.72 A$61.2

$42.76 A$61.2

-0.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 A$20.10

$12.90 A$18.47

8.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.90

$5.53 A$7.91

-12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.39

$5.16 A$7.38

0.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 A$4.03

$3.79 A$5.43

-25.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.0 A$120

$141 A$202

-40.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 A$4.97

$3.75 A$5.37

-7.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.29

$1.44 A$2.07

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.98 A$58.7

$28.93 A$41.42

41.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.86

$1.45 A$2.07

-10.34%

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

$29.9K A$42.8K

$29.6K A$42.3K

1.15%

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

$26.6K A$38.0K

$26.3K A$37.6K

1.23%

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

$206 A$294

$229 A$328

-10.19%

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

$27.81 A$39.82

$26.76 A$38.31

3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 A$82.0

$57.5 A$82.4

-0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$80.7

$49.77 A$71.3

13.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 A$25.29

$21.45 A$30.70

-17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 A$20.22

$17.43 A$24.96

-18.99%

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

$2,113 A$3,025

$2,435 A$3,485

-13.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K A$29.7K

$33.6K A$48.1K

-38.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 A$108

$80.4 A$115

-5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.1

$51.5 A$73.7

5.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$155

$121 A$174

-10.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$134 A$191

-8.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 A$1,985

$1,748 A$2,503

-20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 A$1,733

$1,386 A$1,984

-12.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 A$3,182

$3,468 A$4,964

-35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,843 A$2,638

$2,520 A$3,607

-26.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,770 A$8,259

$8,274 A$11.8K

-30.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,965 A$7,108

$7,066 A$10.1K

-29.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,106 A$7,309

$4,206 A$6,021

21.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.97

-1.17%

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

Last update for Port Hedland: November 1, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Hedland

$1.2K 48.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 14.5% $176

Groceries & Markets

Port Hedland

$367 14.6%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 4.5% $16

Eating Out

Port Hedland

$296 11.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 6.4% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Hedland

$291 11.6%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 7.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Port Hedland

$162 6.5%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 7.2% $12

Getting Around

Port Hedland

$107 4.2%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 56.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Port Hedland

$85 3.4%

Melbourne

$85 3% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Port Hedland and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Hedland pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84 in Port Hedland vs $83 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $367 vs $383, with Port Hedland cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:17 6:17 AM

09:17 9:17 AM

3 h ahead of Port Hedland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,298

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Port Hedland Melbourne 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Hedland
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

Port Hedland vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,517 in Port Hedland and $2,823 in Melbourne, so Port Hedland is about 11% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Port Hedland, 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: $1,387 in Port Hedland versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,517 per month in Port Hedland versus $2,823 in Melbourne – Port Hedland is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Port Hedland 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, Port Hedland and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.