Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putra Heights and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Putra Heights: $942 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Putra Heights
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Putra Heights Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Putra Heights

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$942

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $942 in Putra Heights versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Putra Heights $942
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,398 in Putra Heights versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Putra Heights $1,398
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,855 in Putra Heights versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Putra Heights $1,855
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Putra Heights costs roughly 67% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Putra Heights is 30% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.75 MYR 15.29

$17.43 A$25.08

-78.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.38 MYR 75.0

$84.6 A$122

-78.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 MYR 19.93

$12.46 A$17.92

-60.83%

Cappuccino

$2.98 MYR 12.15

$4.11 A$5.91

-27.49%

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

$0.85 MYR 3.47

$3.06 A$4.40

-72.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$2.52 A$3.62

-82.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 MYR 18.45

$9.80 A$14.10

-53.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 MYR 25.10

$8.57 A$12.33

-28.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MYR 7.12

$1.48 A$2.14

18.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.53

$2.94 A$4.23

-62.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.02

$2.66 A$3.82

-44.36%

Eggs

$1.74 MYR 7.09

$5.54 A$7.97

-68.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 MYR 56.4

$10.51 A$15.13

31.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 MYR 17.62

$9.65 A$13.89

-55.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MYR 39.39

$15.22 A$21.91

-36.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 MYR 13.97

$3.99 A$5.75

-14.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.78

$3.02 A$4.34

-45.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 MYR 9.45

$3.10 A$4.46

-25.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 MYR 6.31

$4.82 A$6.93

-67.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 MYR 5.25

$3.03 A$4.36

-57.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.52

$2.44 A$3.52

-44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 MYR 4.78

$2.46 A$3.54

-52.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.10

$1.63 A$2.34

-68.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MYR 17.93

$44.07 A$63.4

-90.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 MYR 57.1

$12.70 A$18.28

10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 MYR 11.79

$5.54 A$7.97

-47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 MYR 12.66

$5.23 A$7.52

-40.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.07

$3.74 A$5.38

-79.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.05 MYR 49.14

$138 A$198

-91.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 MYR 4.11

$4.51 A$6.50

-77.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$1.36 A$1.96

-48.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 MYR 20.35

$30.45 A$43.81

-83.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 MYR 3.37

$1.47 A$2.12

-43.54%

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

$42.1K MYR 171.8K

$29.0K A$41.7K

45.17%

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

$35.1K MYR 143.3K

$26.5K A$38.1K

32.68%

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

$63.4 MYR 259

$234 A$336

-72.86%

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

$8.81 MYR 35.92

$27.93 A$40.19

-68.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.68 MYR 109

$55.7 A$80.2

-52.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.80 MYR 162

$49.40 A$71.1

-19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 MYR 29.87

$21.48 A$30.91

-65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MYR 20.64

$15.09 A$21.72

-66.47%

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

$162 MYR 659

$2,371 A$3,412

-93.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 MYR 22.1K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-82.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 MYR 218

$80.0 A$115

-33.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.30 MYR 66.5

$50.7 A$73.0

-67.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.8 MYR 334

$121 A$174

-32.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 MYR 393

$130 A$188

-26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 MYR 1,654

$1,759 A$2,531

-76.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 MYR 1,214

$1,390 A$2,000

-78.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 MYR 2,753

$3,494 A$5,027

-80.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 MYR 1,958

$2,493 A$3,588

-80.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,835 MYR 7,484

$6,926 A$9,967

-73.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$944 MYR 3,851

$6,445 A$9,274

-85.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,121 MYR 4,575

$4,383 A$6,307

-74.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

5.9

-31.19%

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

Last update for Putra Heights: October 10, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Putra Heights

$298 31.6%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 367% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Putra Heights

$244 25.9%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 57.6% $140

Eating Out

Putra Heights

$120 12.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 161% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Putra Heights

$112 11.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 53.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putra Heights

$99 10.5%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 221% $218

Sport & Entertainment

Putra Heights

$50 5.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 59.4% $30

Getting Around

Putra Heights

$20 2.1%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 737% $144

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $405 in Putra Heights and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 291% 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: $18.00 in Putra Heights vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $384 per month, with Putra Heights cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Putra Heights

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

18:20 6:20 PM

3 h ahead of Putra Heights

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,000

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Putra Heights Melbourne 6,360 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Putra Heights
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

Putra Heights vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putra Heights and Melbourne differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($942 vs $2,821 including rent). Putra Heights is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 291% lower in Melbourne. 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: $405 in Putra Heights versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $162 in Putra Heights versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $942 in Putra Heights versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putra Heights but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Putra Heights 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, Putra Heights 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 Putra Heights gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.