Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in South Yarra: $2,514 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in South Yarra
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South Yarra Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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South Yarra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,514

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,514 in South Yarra versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

South Yarra $2,514
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,591 in South Yarra versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

South Yarra $3,591
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,668 in South Yarra versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

South Yarra $4,668
Melbourne $5,699

Living in South Yarra costs roughly 12% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: South Yarra 85% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.10

$17.50 A$24.86

0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.6 A$119

$84.3 A$120

-0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 A$12.25

$12.17 A$17.29

-29.17%

Cappuccino

$3.61 A$5.13

$4.07 A$5.79

-11.30%

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

$2.06 A$2.93

$3.18 A$4.52

-35.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.51

$2.50 A$3.55

-29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 A$14.34

$9.57 A$13.60

5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.81

$8.25 A$11.72

0.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.50 A$2.14

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 A$4.05

$2.97 A$4.22

-4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 A$2.02

$2.68 A$3.81

-47.01%

Eggs

$4.12 A$5.85

$5.45 A$7.75

-24.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 A$15.24

$10.71 A$15.22

0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.74

$10.05 A$14.28

-31.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 A$21.27

$15.00 A$21.31

-0.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.91

$4.07 A$5.78

-32.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$3.14 A$4.46

-31.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 A$2.01

$3.12 A$4.43

-54.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.02

$4.73 A$6.72

-40.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 A$1.94

$2.98 A$4.23

-54.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$2.49 A$3.55

-13.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.48 A$3.53

-4.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.60 A$2.27

-1.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.45 A$44.68

$44.65 A$63.4

-29.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 A$18.01

$12.68 A$18.02

-0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.56 A$7.90

$5.55 A$7.88

0.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.40

$5.18 A$7.37

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.84

$3.84 A$5.45

-29.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 A$122

$139 A$197

-38.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 A$6.30

$4.36 A$6.19

1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.37 A$1.94

1.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 A$42.54

$29.72 A$42.23

0.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.49 A$2.11

-10.07%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$29.1K A$41.3K

2.91%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

0.02%

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

$233 A$331

$236 A$335

-1.14%

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

$28.22 A$40.10

$28.01 A$39.80

0.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.43 A$58.9

$57.2 A$81.3

-27.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$79.5

$48.39 A$68.8

15.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 A$21.66

$21.46 A$30.50

-28.98%

Cinema Ticket

$16.70 A$23.73

$17.67 A$25.10

-5.49%

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

$2,427 A$3,449

$2,461 A$3,497

-1.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K A$42.6K

$29.7K A$42.2K

1.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$115

$81.2 A$115

-0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.0

$49.28 A$70.0

1.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$120 A$170

1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$131 A$186

0.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 A$2,011

$1,703 A$2,419

-16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 A$1,740

$1,409 A$2,002

-13.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 A$3,164

$3,496 A$4,967

-36.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 A$2,574

$2,527 A$3,590

-28.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,985 A$8,504

$7,978 A$11.3K

-24.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 A$6,016

$6,900 A$9,805

-38.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

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 South Yarra: 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

South Yarra

$1.2K 48.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 15% $184

Groceries & Markets

South Yarra

$325 12.9%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 19.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Yarra

$303 12%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 6% $18

Eating Out

South Yarra

$293 11.7%

Melbourne

$312 11% 6.7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

South Yarra

$172 6.9%

Melbourne

$171 6% 0.6% $1

Getting Around

South Yarra

$108 4.3%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 53.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

South Yarra

$89 3.6%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 6.3% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,415 in South Yarra and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84 in South Yarra vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $386 per month, with South Yarra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 South Yarra

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

10:00 10:00 AM

Same time as South Yarra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,147

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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

South Yarra vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,514 in South Yarra and $2,849 in Melbourne, so South Yarra is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,771 in South Yarra 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: $1,415 in South Yarra 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 $2,514 per month in South Yarra versus $2,849 in Melbourne – South Yarra is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. South Yarra 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, South Yarra and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.