Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarneit and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarneit and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,230 in Tarneit versus $2,465 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,293 in Tarneit versus $3,636 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Tarneit versus $4,806 in Melbourne.

Living in Tarneit costs roughly 10% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tarneit 67% above, Melbourne 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.43 A$22.84

$19.34 A$26.88

-15.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$108

$78.4 A$109

-1.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 A$13.22

$10.03 A$13.94

-5.18%

Cappuccino

$3.51 A$4.87

$3.62 A$5.04

-3.04%

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

$2.52 A$3.50

$2.61 A$3.63

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 A$2.93

$2.31 A$3.21

-8.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$8.96

$7.43 A$10.32

-13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 A$9.73

$7.20 A$10.00

-2.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$1.46 A$2.03

-2.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.36

$2.66 A$3.70

-9.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.73

$2.32 A$3.22

-15.52%

Eggs

$4.43 A$6.16

$4.68 A$6.51

-5.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.04

$9.20 A$12.78

-5.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 A$11.58

$9.36 A$13.01

-11.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 A$18.81

$14.69 A$20.42

-7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.44

$3.21 A$4.46

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.90

$2.78 A$3.87

1.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 A$3.96

$2.96 A$4.11

-3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.75

$4.09 A$5.69

1.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.40

$2.70 A$3.76

-9.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.03

$2.35 A$3.26

-7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.92

$2.21 A$3.08

-4.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.20

$1.66 A$2.30

-4.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.19 A$43.35

$32.79 A$45.58

-4.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.77 A$21.92

$14.59 A$20.28

8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.52 A$6.28

$4.72 A$6.56

-4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 A$7.35

$5.09 A$7.08

3.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 A$3.56

$3.61 A$5.02

-29.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 A$88.8

$118 A$163

-45.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.08

$3.68 A$5.11

-0.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.16

$1.39 A$1.94

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.90 A$45.73

$27.58 A$38.34

19.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$1.19 A$1.65

-5.04%

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

$28.5K A$39.6K

$29.3K A$40.7K

-2.83%

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

$22.1K A$30.7K

$23.7K A$32.9K

-6.89%

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

$181 A$251

$152 A$211

19.19%

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

$27.18 A$37.78

$21.15 A$29.40

28.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$74.3

$49.94 A$69.4

7.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 A$66.9

$49.19 A$68.4

-2.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.69 A$21.80

$16.15 A$22.45

-2.85%

Cinema Ticket

$13.26 A$18.43

$15.99 A$22.22

-17.07%

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

$1,601 A$2,225

$1,756 A$2,441

-8.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.5K

$19.2K A$26.7K

-38.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 A$94.7

$66.9 A$92.9

1.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.0

$53.9 A$75.0

-6.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$140

$106 A$147

-4.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$149

$103 A$143

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 A$1,779

$1,568 A$2,180

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 A$1,488

$1,183 A$1,644

-9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 A$2,819

$3,038 A$4,223

-33.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 A$2,319

$2,022 A$2,811

-17.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,672 A$9,275

$7,557 A$10.5K

-11.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 A$6,159

$6,527 A$9,073

-32.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,490 A$6,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

6.19

2.42%

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

Last update for Tarneit: April 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,280 in Tarneit and $1,568 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Tarneit vs $78.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $357 per month, with Tarneit cheaper across the board.

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

Tarneit vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarneit and Melbourne differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,230 vs $2,465 including rent). Tarneit is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,345 in Tarneit and $3,698 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: $1,280 in Tarneit versus $1,568 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,601 in Tarneit versus $1,756 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,230 in Tarneit versus $2,465 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Tarneit but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Tarneit the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Tarneit 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.

Expats usually find Tarneit gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.