Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond, Australia and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Richmond: $2,620 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Richmond
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Richmond Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Richmond

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,620

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,620 in Richmond versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

Richmond $2,620
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,446 in Richmond versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

Richmond $3,446
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,271 in Richmond versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

Richmond $4,271
Melbourne $5,699

Living in Richmond costs roughly 8% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.53 A$15.03

$17.50 A$24.98

-39.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$121

$84.3 A$120

0.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.30 A$17.56

$12.17 A$17.37

1.07%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$4.98

$4.07 A$5.82

-14.25%

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

$3.13 A$4.47

$3.18 A$4.54

-1.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.50 A$3.56

3.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 A$5.04

$9.57 A$13.66

-63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.23

$8.25 A$11.78

3.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.50 A$2.15

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.11

$2.97 A$4.24

-3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

Eggs

$5.57 A$7.96

$5.45 A$7.78

2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.95 A$9.92

$10.71 A$15.29

-35.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.95 A$9.93

$10.05 A$14.34

-30.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 A$10.05

$15.00 A$21.41

-53.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 A$5.76

$4.07 A$5.81

-0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.32

$3.14 A$4.48

-3.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$3.12 A$4.45

1.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 A$6.60

$4.73 A$6.75

-2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.25

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.67

$2.49 A$3.56

3.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 A$3.53

$2.48 A$3.54

-0.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.60 A$2.28

-1.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.11 A$50.1

$44.65 A$63.7

-21.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 A$9.80

$12.68 A$18.10

-45.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.60 A$8.00

$5.55 A$7.91

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.42

$5.18 A$7.40

0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 A$3.57

$3.84 A$5.48

-34.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.4 A$103

$139 A$198

-47.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 A$6.24

$4.36 A$6.22

0.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.03

$1.37 A$1.95

3.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 A$42.70

$29.72 A$42.43

0.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.49 A$2.12

-2.68%

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

$29.8K A$42.5K

$29.1K A$41.5K

2.33%

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

$26.2K A$37.4K

$25.7K A$36.6K

2.21%

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

$236 A$337

$236 A$336

0.11%

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

$28.28 A$40.36

$28.01 A$39.98

0.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.1

$57.2 A$81.7

-1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.82 A$68.3

$48.39 A$69.1

-1.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.63 A$23.74

$21.46 A$30.64

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$24.85

$17.67 A$25.22

-1.47%

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

$2,452 A$3,499

$2,461 A$3,513

-0.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K A$43.6K

$29.7K A$42.4K

2.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 A$116

$81.2 A$116

0.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.65 A$70.9

$49.28 A$70.3

0.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$120 A$171

0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$131 A$187

0.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 A$1,768

$1,703 A$2,430

-27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 A$2,008

$1,409 A$2,011

-0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 A$2,764

$3,496 A$4,989

-44.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 A$2,251

$2,527 A$3,606

-37.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,307 A$7,575

$7,978 A$11.4K

-33.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,536 A$7,902

$6,900 A$9,849

-19.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,076

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Richmond: October 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Richmond

$1.4K 53.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 0.1% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Richmond

$323 12.3%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 19.5% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Richmond

$320 12.2%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 0.2% $0.6

Eating Out

Richmond

$221 8.4%

Melbourne

$312 11% 41.6% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Richmond

$173 6.6%

Melbourne

$171 6% 0.7% $1.3

Getting Around

Richmond

$94 3.6%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 76.1% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Richmond

$83 3.2%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 1.3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Richmond and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Richmond vs $84 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $323 vs $386, with Richmond cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Richmond

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

Same time as Richmond

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,587

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Richmond vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,620 in Richmond and $2,849 in Melbourne, so Richmond is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,931 in Richmond 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,238 in Richmond versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,620 per month in Richmond versus $2,849 in Melbourne – Richmond is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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