Cost of Living Comparison Between San Gwann and Ballarat Cost of Living Comparison Between San Gwann and Ballarat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in San Gwann versus $1,914 in Ballarat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,192 in San Gwann versus $3,065 in Ballarat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,312 in San Gwann versus $4,217 in Ballarat.

Living in San Gwann is roughly 8% more expensive than in Ballarat, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Gwann 52% above, Ballarat 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.92 €19.09

$17.86 A$25.10

22.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 €59.2

$71.5 A$100

-4.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €11.91

$10.68 A$15.01

28.00%

Cappuccino

$2.94 €2.56

$3.94 A$5.54

-25.38%

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

$2.13 €1.86

$3.02 A$4.24

-29.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.98 A$2.78

-43.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 €3.94

$6.27 A$8.81

-27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €3.98

$6.53 A$9.17

-30.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.64 A$2.30

-16.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 €1.32

$2.82 A$3.96

-46.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.58 €3.12

$2.29 A$3.22

56.33%

Eggs

$4.21 €3.67

$4.25 A$5.97

-0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.74 €9.36

$11.12 A$15.63

-3.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.56 €10.94

$9.89 A$13.89

27.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.32 €15.96

$15.29 A$21.48

19.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 €3.47

$3.73 A$5.24

6.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$3.10 A$4.35

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 €3.52

$3.30 A$4.63

22.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.32

$4.74 A$6.66

-19.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$3.13 A$4.40

-35.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.60 A$3.66

-9.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.49 A$3.50

-5.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.54 A$2.16

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.54

$35.51 A$49.89

-82.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.09

$12.34 A$17.33

-52.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.37 A$3.33

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.15

$3.16 A$4.44

-21.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.84 A$4.00

-16.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.92 €13.00

$71.2 A$100

-79.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 €3.42

$2.59 A$3.64

51.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 €1.59

$1.38 A$1.94

32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.27 €28.98

$27.32 A$38.39

21.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.24 A$1.74

22.58%

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

$29.3K €25.5K

$28.3K A$39.8K

3.34%

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

$34.8K €30.3K

$26.4K A$37.1K

32.01%

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

$120 €104

$216 A$303

-44.53%

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

$32.04 €27.92

$28.70 A$40.32

11.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.98 €32.22

$57.0 A$80.1

-35.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 €51.3

$32.30 A$45.38

82.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.07 €16.61

$11.32 A$15.90

68.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.00

$15.43 A$21.68

-32.99%

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

$289 €252

$2,222 A$3,122

-86.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K €10.0K

$31.7K A$44.6K

-63.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 €49.09

$72.2 A$101

-21.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.0 €54.9

$52.3 A$73.5

20.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 €73.2

$104 A$145

-18.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$134 A$188

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,061

$954 A$1,340

27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 €895

$677 A$951

51.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 €2,096

$1,320 A$1,855

82.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 €1,500

$1,492 A$2,096

15.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,734 €4,995

$4,900 A$6,885

17.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,911 €2,536

$3,586 A$5,039

-18.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,805 €1,573

$3,232 A$4,540

-44.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

5.55

-27.03%

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

Last update for San Gwann: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,218 in San Gwann and $954 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in San Gwann vs $72.0 in Ballarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $359 per month, with San Gwann cheaper across the board.

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

San Gwann vs Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in San Gwann. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Ballarat. 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: $1,218 in San Gwann versus $954 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $289 in San Gwann versus $2,222 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in San Gwann pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,914 in Ballarat versus $2,073 in San Gwann, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in San Gwann. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat 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, San Gwann and Ballarat 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in San Gwann. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.