Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sudbury and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Sudbury: $2,511 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Sudbury
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Sudbury Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Sudbury

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,511

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,511 in Sudbury versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

Sudbury $2,511
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,633 in Sudbury versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

Sudbury $3,633
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,754 in Sudbury versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

Sudbury $4,754
Melbourne $5,699

Living in Sudbury costs roughly 12% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sudbury 84% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 CA$24.91

$17.50 A$24.88

1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$98.8

$84.3 A$120

-16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.19

$12.17 A$17.30

-11.18%

Cappuccino

$2.98 CA$4.19

$4.07 A$5.79

-26.78%

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

$2.12 CA$2.97

$3.18 A$4.52

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$2.50 A$3.55

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 CA$7.56

$9.57 A$13.61

-43.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 CA$9.45

$8.25 A$11.73

-18.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.46 CA$3.46

$1.50 A$2.14

64.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 CA$2.90

$2.97 A$4.22

-30.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.29

$2.68 A$3.82

67.16%

Eggs

$3.75 CA$5.27

$5.45 A$7.76

-31.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 CA$15.65

$10.71 A$15.23

4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 CA$19.52

$10.05 A$14.29

38.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 CA$18.01

$15.00 A$21.33

-14.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.21

$4.07 A$5.79

8.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 CA$1.75

$3.14 A$4.46

-60.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.21

$3.12 A$4.43

18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 CA$5.93

$4.73 A$6.73

-10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$2.98 A$4.24

33.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.81

$2.49 A$3.55

8.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 CA$2.62

$2.48 A$3.53

-24.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$1.60 A$2.27

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.03 CA$19.71

$44.65 A$63.5

-68.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 CA$19.97

$12.68 A$18.03

12.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.22

$5.55 A$7.89

-45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$3.96

$5.18 A$7.37

-45.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$3.84 A$5.46

-24.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 CA$101

$139 A$197

-48.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.43

$4.36 A$6.20

-27.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$1.37 A$1.94

70.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.80 CA$39.06

$29.72 A$42.26

-6.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.49 A$2.11

-18.79%

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

$28.6K CA$40.1K

$29.1K A$41.4K

-1.84%

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

$20.9K CA$29.4K

$25.7K A$36.5K

-18.51%

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

$172 CA$241

$236 A$335

-27.12%

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

$52.1 CA$73.1

$28.01 A$39.83

85.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 CA$105

$57.2 A$81.4

30.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 CA$74.7

$48.39 A$68.8

9.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.16 CA$19.89

$21.46 A$30.52

-34.02%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 CA$16.65

$17.67 A$25.12

-32.94%

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

$545 CA$765

$2,461 A$3,499

-77.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,523 CA$12.0K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-71.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 CA$79.7

$81.2 A$115

-30.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 CA$47.08

$49.28 A$70.1

-32.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$147

$120 A$170

-12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 CA$208

$131 A$186

13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 CA$2,000

$1,703 A$2,421

-16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 CA$1,732

$1,409 A$2,003

-12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 CA$3,068

$3,496 A$4,971

-37.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 CA$2,707

$2,527 A$3,593

-23.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,733 CA$3,840

$7,978 A$11.3K

-65.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,958 CA$2,752

$6,900 A$9,812

-71.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 CA$4,284

$4,257 A$6,053

-28.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.9

-15.08%

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

Last update for Sudbury: 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

Sudbury

$1.2K 49.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 14.3% $176

Groceries & Markets

Sudbury

$385 15.3%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 0.4% $1.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sudbury

$298 11.9%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 7.6% $23

Eating Out

Sudbury

$266 10.6%

Melbourne

$312 11% 17.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Sudbury

$154 6.1%

Melbourne

$171 6% 11.2% $17

Getting Around

Sudbury

$98 3.9%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 68.4% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Sudbury

$77 3.1%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 8.9% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,424 in Sudbury and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 40% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Sudbury vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $386 per month, with Sudbury cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sudbury

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

20:58 8:58 PM

15 h ahead of Sudbury

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,531

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.712 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sudbury Melbourne 16,160 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Sudbury
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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

Sudbury vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sudbury and Melbourne differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,511 vs $2,849 including rent). Sudbury is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Sudbury. 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: $1,424 in Sudbury versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sudbury runs roughly 48% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,511 per month in Sudbury versus $2,849 in Melbourne – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Sudbury wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.