Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southern Cross and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Southern Cross: $2,532 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,532

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,532 in Southern Cross versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Southern Cross $2,532
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,583 in Southern Cross versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Southern Cross $3,583
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,635 in Southern Cross versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Southern Cross $4,635
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Southern Cross costs roughly 10% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Southern Cross 87% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.39 A$27.64

$17.34 A$24.72

11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 A$87.2

$82.7 A$118

-26.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.22

$12.63 A$18.01

-15.44%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.95

$4.22 A$6.02

-17.77%

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

$2.40 A$3.42

$3.12 A$4.44

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 A$2.53

$2.48 A$3.54

-28.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 A$9.88

$9.69 A$13.82

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.91

$8.30 A$11.83

0.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.50 A$2.14

5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.88

$3.08 A$4.39

-11.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.64 A$3.77

-15.91%

Eggs

$2.76 A$3.94

$5.58 A$7.95

-50.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.20

$9.78 A$13.95

-5.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.46

$9.52 A$13.57

-0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 A$20.90

$15.18 A$21.64

-3.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 A$5.52

$4.22 A$6.02

-8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$3.13 A$4.47

-4.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.51

$3.24 A$4.62

-2.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 A$6.61

$4.71 A$6.71

-1.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.74

$3.13 A$4.46

-16.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.48

$2.46 A$3.51

-0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.40 A$3.42

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.47 A$2.10

5.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.49 A$50.6

$42.76 A$61.0

-17.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 A$20.22

$12.90 A$18.39

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.77

$5.53 A$7.88

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.63

$5.16 A$7.35

3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.86

$3.79 A$5.41

-28.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 A$122

$141 A$201

-39.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.07

$3.75 A$5.35

-5.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.24

$1.44 A$2.06

9.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.2

$28.93 A$41.25

36.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.45 A$2.07

-12.41%

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

$28.9K A$41.2K

$29.6K A$42.2K

-2.22%

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

$26.8K A$38.2K

$26.3K A$37.4K

2.12%

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

$208 A$296

$229 A$326

-9.21%

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

$27.83 A$39.67

$26.76 A$38.15

4.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$81.9

$57.5 A$82.0

-0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 A$81.0

$49.77 A$71.0

14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 A$25.70

$21.45 A$30.58

-15.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.09 A$20.08

$17.43 A$24.85

-19.16%

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

$2,165 A$3,087

$2,435 A$3,471

-11.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.4K

$33.6K A$47.9K

-38.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 A$109

$80.4 A$115

-5.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$79.0

$51.5 A$73.4

7.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$155

$121 A$173

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$174

$134 A$190

-8.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 A$1,964

$1,748 A$2,492

-21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 A$1,749

$1,386 A$1,976

-11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 A$3,215

$3,468 A$4,944

-34.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 A$2,608

$2,520 A$3,592

-27.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,968 A$8,508

$8,274 A$11.8K

-27.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,897 A$6,981

$7,066 A$10.1K

-30.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,095 A$10.1K

$4,206 A$5,996

68.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.97

4.69%

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

Last update for Southern Cross: November 1, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southern Cross

$1.2K 48.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 13% $159

Groceries & Markets

Southern Cross

$359 14.2%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 6.8% $24

Eating Out

Southern Cross

$297 11.7%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southern Cross

$293 11.6%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 6.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Southern Cross

$163 6.4%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 6.7% $11

Getting Around

Southern Cross

$108 4.3%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 55.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Southern Cross

$85 3.4%

Melbourne

$85 3% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,377 in Southern Cross and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southern Cross pays 69% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Southern Cross vs $83 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $383 per month, with Southern Cross cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

09:29 9:29 AM

3 h ahead of Southern Cross

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Southern Cross Melbourne 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Southern Cross
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

Southern Cross vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,532 in Southern Cross and $2,823 in Melbourne, so Southern Cross is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Southern Cross, 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: $1,377 in Southern Cross versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,165 in Southern Cross versus $2,435 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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, Southern Cross and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Southern Cross gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.