Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Ballarat Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Ballarat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,885 in Split versus $1,926 in Ballarat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,930 in Split versus $3,081 in Ballarat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,976 in Split versus $4,235 in Ballarat.

Living in Split costs roughly 2% less than in Ballarat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Split 37% above, Ballarat 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 €15.04

$17.68 A$24.74

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 €65.6

$72.7 A$102

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 €9.98

$10.73 A$15.01

7.83%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.38

$3.83 A$5.36

-27.94%

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

$4.29 €3.70

$3.10 A$4.33

38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.72

$2.01 A$2.81

56.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 €4.17

$6.24 A$8.73

-22.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.38

$6.55 A$9.16

-22.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.71 A$2.39

-23.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.86 A$4.00

-19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 €3.25

$2.41 A$3.37

56.43%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.55

$4.36 A$6.10

-5.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.23 €12.27

$11.57 A$16.19

22.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 €8.18

$9.48 A$13.27

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 €12.91

$15.78 A$22.08

-5.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.89

$3.68 A$5.15

-40.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$3.16 A$4.42

-40.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$3.19 A$4.46

-37.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.48

$4.82 A$6.74

-40.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$3.30 A$4.62

-50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.05

$2.63 A$3.68

-53.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.21

$2.41 A$3.37

-41.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.52 A$2.13

-13.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 €5.13

$35.19 A$49.22

-83.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.17 €7.91

$12.09 A$16.91

-24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.35 A$3.29

-23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.09

$3.21 A$4.49

-24.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.76 A$3.86

-43.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.03 €35.39

$73.0 A$102

-43.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 €3.25

$2.65 A$3.71

42.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.84

$1.40 A$1.96

52.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.04 €25.91

$27.81 A$38.90

8.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.24 A$1.74

51.61%

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

$28.6K €24.6K

$29.1K A$40.7K

-1.81%

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

$25.3K €21.8K

$25.8K A$36.1K

-2.09%

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

$216 €187

$216 A$302

0.22%

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

$20.82 €17.96

$27.96 A$39.11

-25.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.78 €36.90

$57.7 A$80.8

-25.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 €54.3

$32.61 A$45.62

93.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.87 €11.96

$11.33 A$15.85

22.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.38 €8.09

$15.86 A$22.19

-40.86%

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

$633 €546

$2,207 A$3,087

-71.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$33.2K A$46.4K

-62.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €83.8

$72.2 A$101

34.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.85 €34.37

$52.1 A$72.9

-23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 €103

$104 A$145

15.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €87.5

$138 A$193

-26.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 €889

$936 A$1,309

10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 €637

$689 A$963

7.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 €1,750

$1,289 A$1,803

57.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 €1,185

$1,527 A$2,135

-10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,322 €6,315

$4,901 A$6,855

49.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,071 €4,374

$3,601 A$5,037

40.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,677 €1,446

$3,339 A$4,671

-49.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

5.55

-38.02%

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

Last update for Split: September 1, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,030 in Split and $936 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballarat pays 99% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76.0 in Split vs $73.0 in Ballarat. Groceries flip the comparison at $308 vs $362, with Split cheaper for home cooking.

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

Split vs Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Split wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Ballarat. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Split the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 99% 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: $1,030 in Split versus $936 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $633 in Split versus $2,207 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Ballarat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,885 in Split versus $1,926 in Ballarat, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Split but tight or insufficient in Ballarat. The gap between the two cities makes Split the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Split delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Split hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Split 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 Split gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Ballarat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.