Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redland City and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Redland City: $2,349 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Redland City, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
Redland City
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,349
/mo nomad
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,849
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,349 in Redland City versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

  • Redland City $2,349
  • Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Redland City versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

  • Redland City $3,361
  • Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,373 in Redland City versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

  • Redland City $4,373
  • Melbourne $5,699

Living in Redland City costs roughly 18% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Redland City 73% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.58 A$22.25
$17.50 A$24.99
-10.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.4 A$91.9
$84.3 A$120
-23.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 A$13.79
$12.17 A$17.38
-20.62%
Cappuccino
$3.62 A$5.16
$4.07 A$5.82
-11.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 A$4.03
$3.18 A$4.54
-11.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 A$3.02
$2.50 A$3.57
-15.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.57 A$10.81
$9.57 A$13.67
-20.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.46 A$9.22
$8.25 A$11.78
-21.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 A$2.24
$1.50 A$2.15
4.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.75 A$3.93
$2.97 A$4.24
-7.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.36 A$3.37
$2.68 A$3.83
-11.94%
Eggs
$4.89 A$6.98
$5.45 A$7.79
-10.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.54 A$12.19
$10.71 A$15.30
-20.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.31 A$13.30
$10.05 A$14.35
-7.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.93 A$21.32
$15.00 A$21.42
-0.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.57 A$5.10
$4.07 A$5.81
-12.29%
Banana (1kg)
$2.73 A$3.90
$3.14 A$4.48
-13.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 A$3.06
$3.12 A$4.45
-31.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.57 A$5.10
$4.73 A$6.76
-24.52%
Potato (1kg)
$2.59 A$3.70
$2.98 A$4.26
-13.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 A$2.45
$2.49 A$3.56
-31.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 A$3.06
$2.48 A$3.54
-13.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 A$2.20
$1.60 A$2.28
-3.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$33.08 A$47.24
$44.65 A$63.8
-25.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.01 A$15.72
$12.68 A$18.11
-13.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.93 A$7.05
$5.55 A$7.92
-11.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 A$5.94
$5.18 A$7.40
-19.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 A$0.48
$3.84 A$5.48
-91.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.7 A$112
$139 A$198
-43.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.13 A$3.04
$4.36 A$6.22
-51.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 A$2.25
$1.37 A$1.95
15.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.08 A$51.5
$29.72 A$42.45
21.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 A$1.90
$1.49 A$2.12
-10.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$41.5K
$29.1K A$41.5K
-0.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K A$38.1K
$25.7K A$36.7K
3.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.3 A$129
$236 A$337
-61.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.52 A$43.58
$28.01 A$40.01
8.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.2 A$75.9
$57.2 A$81.7
-7.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.2 A$86.0
$48.39 A$69.1
24.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.80 A$25.42
$21.46 A$30.65
-17.05%
Cinema Ticket
$7.15 A$10.20
$17.67 A$25.23
-59.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$517 A$738
$2,461 A$3,515
-79.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,161 A$5,942
$29.7K A$42.4K
-85.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.7 A$111
$81.2 A$116
-4.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.3 A$79.0
$49.28 A$70.4
12.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 A$148
$120 A$171
-13.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.4 A$142
$131 A$187
-24.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,424 A$2,033
$1,703 A$2,432
-16.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,249 A$1,784
$1,409 A$2,012
-11.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,242 A$3,202
$3,496 A$4,992
-35.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,853 A$2,646
$2,527 A$3,608
-26.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,518 A$7,880
$7,978 A$11.4K
-30.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,595 A$6,562
$6,900 A$9,854
-33.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Redland City
Melbourne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,257 A$6,079
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.69
5.9
-3.56%

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

Last update for Redland City: October 27, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Redland City
$1.2K
Melbourne
$1.4K 12.8% $160
Groceries & Markets
Redland City
$343
Melbourne
$386 12.6% $43
Eating Out
Redland City
$268
Melbourne
$312 16.8% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redland City
$174
Melbourne
$321 84.4% $147
Clothing & Footwear
Redland City
$151
Melbourne
$171 13.5% $20
Getting Around
Redland City
$90
Melbourne
$165 83.4% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Redland City
$74
Melbourne
$84 12.4% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,424 in Redland City and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Redland City vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $386 per month, with Redland City cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Redland City
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🕒 Local time
13:42 1:42 PM
14:42 2:42 PM
1 h ahead of Redland City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
159,222
5,031,195
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Redland City Melbourne 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Redland City
  • 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
Redland City vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Redland City and in Melbourne?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,349 in Redland City and $2,849 in Melbourne, so Redland City is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Redland City compared to Melbourne?
You’d need roughly $3,524 in Redland City and $4,273 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Redland City and in Melbourne?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,424 in Redland City versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Redland City and Melbourne?
Childcare runs $517 in Redland City versus $2,461 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Redland City and Melbourne?
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.
Is Redland City or Melbourne safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Redland City and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Redland City or Melbourne?
Expats usually find Redland City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Redland City vs other spots: cost of living compared

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