Cost of Living Comparison Between Solingen and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Solingen and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,138 in Solingen versus $2,416 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,163 in Solingen versus $3,579 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,188 in Solingen versus $4,742 in Melbourne.

Living in Solingen costs roughly 11% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Solingen 60% above, Melbourne 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 €14.94

$19.75 A$27.67

-12.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 €70.8

$78.7 A$110

4.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.64 €10.02

$9.70 A$13.60

20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.35 €2.88

$3.66 A$5.13

-8.47%

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

$2.91 €2.51

$2.60 A$3.65

11.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.47

$2.34 A$3.28

22.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 €4.55

$7.17 A$10.05

-26.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.95

$6.99 A$9.79

-34.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.11

$1.45 A$2.03

-11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.66 A$3.73

-15.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 €2.98

$2.34 A$3.27

47.86%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.52

$4.80 A$6.73

-15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.68 €12.64

$8.77 A$12.28

67.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.45 €14.17

$9.44 A$13.22

74.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.01 €17.23

$14.42 A$20.21

38.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$3.33 A$4.67

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 €1.56

$2.77 A$3.89

-34.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.02

$3.00 A$4.20

-22.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 €4.50

$3.95 A$5.53

32.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.68 A$3.75

-40.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.37

$2.36 A$3.30

-32.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.14 A$2.99

-3.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.63 A$2.29

-26.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 €8.37

$32.44 A$45.46

-70.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 €5.14

$14.11 A$19.76

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$4.64 A$6.51

-76.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.50

$5.04 A$7.06

-65.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 €2.83

$3.49 A$4.89

-5.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.5 €53.8

$120 A$168

-47.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.50 A$4.90

31.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.35 A$1.88

38.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.62 €23.78

$26.94 A$37.75

2.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.19 A$1.67

73.11%

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

$31.8K €27.4K

$29.4K A$41.2K

8.07%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$23.6K A$33.0K

53.50%

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

$361 €311

$150 A$210

141.03%

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

$28.77 €24.78

$21.16 A$29.65

35.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.33 €42.48

$50.3 A$70.5

-1.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 €48.81

$49.14 A$68.9

15.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.18 €19.96

$16.37 A$22.94

41.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 €12.15

$16.43 A$23.03

-14.12%

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

$562 €484

$1,764 A$2,471

-68.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K €12.6K

$19.2K A$26.9K

-23.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 €102

$68.3 A$95.7

74.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.31 €40.74

$53.3 A$74.7

-11.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 €119

$106 A$149

29.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 €143

$105 A$147

58.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 €812

$1,572 A$2,203

-40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 €599

$1,195 A$1,674

-41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 €1,304

$3,048 A$4,270

-50.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 €965

$1,990 A$2,788

-43.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 €3,831

$7,387 A$10.4K

-39.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,586 €3,949

$6,527 A$9,146

-29.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,616 €4,836

$4,512 A$6,323

24.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

6.19

-35.70%

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

Last update for Solingen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $943 in Solingen and $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solingen pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $82.0 in Solingen vs $79.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $354 per month, with Melbourne 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

Solingen vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Solingen and Melbourne differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,138 vs $2,416 including rent). Solingen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Solingen pays 24% more on average, 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: $943 in Solingen versus $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $562 in Solingen versus $1,764 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,138 in Solingen versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Solingen but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Solingen 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, Solingen 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 Solingen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.