Cost of Living Comparison Between Tasmania and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Tasmania and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,426 in Tasmania versus $2,420 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,566 in Tasmania versus $3,592 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,707 in Tasmania versus $4,765 in Melbourne.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tasmania 82% above, Melbourne 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.45 A$37.86

$19.36 A$27.71

36.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 A$110

$77.5 A$111

-1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 A$14.46

$9.85 A$14.10

2.54%

Cappuccino

$3.50 A$5.01

$3.73 A$5.33

-6.17%

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

$2.58 A$3.70

$2.62 A$3.75

-1.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 A$3.01

$2.28 A$3.27

-7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 A$9.10

$7.36 A$10.53

-13.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 A$10.39

$6.94 A$9.93

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.50 A$2.14

14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.11

$2.58 A$3.69

11.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.88

$2.34 A$3.35

-14.10%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.42

$4.85 A$6.95

-7.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 A$15.94

$8.72 A$12.49

27.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 A$19.12

$9.26 A$13.26

44.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.72 A$23.94

$14.58 A$20.88

14.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.63

$3.32 A$4.75

-2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.90

$2.81 A$4.03

-3.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.11

$3.00 A$4.30

-4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

$3.98 A$5.70

-12.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.53

$2.67 A$3.82

18.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.15

$2.23 A$3.20

30.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 A$3.83

$2.19 A$3.14

22.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.19

$1.64 A$2.35

-6.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.73 A$44.00

$31.95 A$45.74

-3.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.32 A$17.64

$13.92 A$19.93

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 A$6.73

$4.67 A$6.69

0.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.51

$5.04 A$7.21

4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 A$3.66

$3.50 A$5.01

-26.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 A$92.9

$121 A$173

-46.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.06

$3.56 A$5.10

-0.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.40 A$2.01

10.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.00 A$47.24

$27.50 A$39.37

20.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$29.2K A$41.8K

0.82%

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

$22.5K A$32.2K

$23.0K A$32.9K

-1.91%

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

$181 A$259

$154 A$220

17.62%

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

$26.97 A$38.61

$20.93 A$29.97

28.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$108 A$155

$51.4 A$73.7

110.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.35 A$69.2

$48.89 A$70.0

-1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.60 A$22.34

$16.24 A$23.25

-3.94%

Cinema Ticket

$13.06 A$18.70

$15.97 A$22.87

-18.22%

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

$1,595 A$2,284

$1,765 A$2,527

-9.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$17.1K

$19.5K A$27.9K

-38.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.0

-0.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 A$72.5

$54.5 A$78.0

-7.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 A$142

$106 A$151

-6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$151

$104 A$148

1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 A$1,787

$1,575 A$2,255

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 A$1,510

$1,206 A$1,726

-12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 A$2,850

$3,041 A$4,354

-34.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,374

$2,022 A$2,895

-17.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,715 A$9,613

$7,077 A$10.1K

-5.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,192

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,671 A$6,687

$4,398 A$6,297

6.20%

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 Tasmania: July 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,248 in Tasmania and $1,575 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tasmania pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77.0 in Tasmania vs $77.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 vs $353, with Melbourne 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

Tasmania vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 6% higher in Tasmania, 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: $1,248 in Tasmania versus $1,575 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Melbourne runs roughly 86% less than in Tasmania. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Tasmania. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,426 in Tasmania, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Melbourne but tight or insufficient in Tasmania. The gap between the two cities makes Melbourne 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, Tasmania 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, Tasmania on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.