Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surfers Paradise and Melbourne

For one person, living costs are similar in Surfers Paradise and in Melbourne: $2,824 and $2,821 a month, rent and utilities included.

136

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
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Surfers Paradise Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,824

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Surfers Paradise versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Surfers Paradise $2,824
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,398 in Surfers Paradise versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Surfers Paradise $4,398
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,973 in Surfers Paradise versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Surfers Paradise $5,973
Melbourne $5,650

Monthly costs are close between Surfers Paradise and Melbourne; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surfers Paradise 109% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.36 A$24.99

$17.43 A$25.08

-0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$151

$84.6 A$122

24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 A$15.62

$12.46 A$17.92

-12.92%

Cappuccino

$4.10 A$5.90

$4.11 A$5.91

-0.24%

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

$2.81 A$4.05

$3.06 A$4.40

-8.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.52 A$3.62

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 A$11.31

$9.80 A$14.10

-19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$11.32

$8.57 A$12.33

-8.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.40

$1.48 A$2.14

12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.89

$2.94 A$4.23

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.46

$2.66 A$3.82

-9.40%

Eggs

$4.90 A$7.05

$5.54 A$7.97

-11.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 A$12.49

$10.51 A$15.13

-17.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 A$13.07

$9.65 A$13.89

-5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 A$20.83

$15.22 A$21.91

-4.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.65

$3.99 A$5.75

-1.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$3.02 A$4.34

1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.85

$3.10 A$4.46

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.97

$4.82 A$6.93

0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.06

$3.03 A$4.36

-6.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$2.44 A$3.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.44

$2.46 A$3.54

-2.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 A$2.98

$1.63 A$2.34

26.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.58 A$54.1

$44.07 A$63.4

-14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.52

$12.70 A$18.28

12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.97 A$8.59

$5.54 A$7.97

7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.36

$5.23 A$7.52

-2.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.49

$3.74 A$5.38

-90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 A$3.02

$4.51 A$6.50

-53.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.36 A$1.96

19.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.24 A$50.7

$30.45 A$43.81

15.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.86

$1.47 A$2.12

-11.56%

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

$27.0K A$38.9K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-6.80%

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

$28.3K A$40.8K

$26.5K A$38.1K

7.08%

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

$212 A$305

$234 A$336

-9.17%

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

$29.92 A$43.06

$27.93 A$40.19

7.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$79.8

$55.7 A$80.2

-0.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 A$95.1

$49.40 A$71.1

33.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 A$20.80

$21.48 A$30.91

-32.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 A$25.06

$15.09 A$21.72

15.44%

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

$1,944 A$2,798

$2,371 A$3,412

-18.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.8K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-59.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 A$120

$80.0 A$115

3.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 A$79.2

$50.7 A$73.0

8.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$121 A$174

-8.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$175

$130 A$188

-7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 A$2,752

$1,759 A$2,531

8.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,260

$1,390 A$2,000

13.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,770 A$5,425

$3,494 A$5,027

7.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 A$4,413

$2,493 A$3,588

23.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,895 A$8,483

$6,926 A$9,967

-14.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,954 A$7,128

$6,445 A$9,274

-23.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,288 A$4,731

$4,383 A$6,307

-24.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Surfers Paradise: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.6%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 11.5% $181

Groceries & Markets

Surfers Paradise

$380 13.5%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 1.1% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surfers Paradise

$298 10.5%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 6.6% $20

Eating Out

Surfers Paradise

$297 10.5%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 6.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 3.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Surfers Paradise

$101 3.6%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 21.1% $21

Getting Around

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1317% $152

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,912 in Surfers Paradise and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $105 in Surfers Paradise vs $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $384, with Surfers Paradise cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

02:17 2:17 AM

03:17 3:17 AM

1 h ahead of Surfers Paradise

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,668

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Surfers Paradise Melbourne 1,350 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Surfers Paradise
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

Surfers Paradise vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Melbourne. 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: $1,912 in Surfers Paradise versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,944 in Surfers Paradise versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Surfers Paradise pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne 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, Surfers Paradise 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.

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