Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wagga Wagga and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Wagga Wagga: $1,870 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Wagga Wagga
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Wagga Wagga Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Wagga Wagga

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,870

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,870 in Wagga Wagga versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Wagga Wagga $1,870
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,854 in Wagga Wagga versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Wagga Wagga $2,854
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,837 in Wagga Wagga versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Wagga Wagga $3,837
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Wagga Wagga costs roughly 34% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wagga Wagga 39% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 A$19.70

$17.43 A$25.08

-21.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 A$127

$84.6 A$122

4.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$15.28

$12.46 A$17.92

-14.77%

Cappuccino

$4.12 A$5.92

$4.11 A$5.91

0.24%

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

$3.15 A$4.54

$3.06 A$4.40

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 A$3.69

$2.52 A$3.62

1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.70

$9.80 A$14.10

-17.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.59 A$13.80

$8.57 A$12.33

11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.48 A$2.14

5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.73

$2.94 A$4.23

11.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.85

$2.66 A$3.82

0.75%

Eggs

$5.17 A$7.44

$5.54 A$7.97

-6.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 A$18.53

$10.51 A$15.13

22.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.20

$9.65 A$13.89

2.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.35 A$22.09

$15.22 A$21.91

0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 A$5.60

$3.99 A$5.75

-2.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.44

$3.02 A$4.34

1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 A$5.14

$3.10 A$4.46

15.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 A$7.35

$4.82 A$6.93

6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.38

$3.03 A$4.36

0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.91

$2.44 A$3.52

11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.58

$2.46 A$3.54

1.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.92

$1.63 A$2.34

-18.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.17 A$63.6

$44.07 A$63.4

0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 A$19.95

$12.70 A$18.28

9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.60

$5.54 A$7.97

-17.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.84

$5.23 A$7.52

4.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 A$4.56

$3.74 A$5.38

-15.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 A$5.93

$4.51 A$6.50

-8.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.36 A$1.96

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.84 A$63.1

$30.45 A$43.81

43.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.47 A$2.12

-9.52%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-7.88%

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

$29.3K A$42.2K

$26.5K A$38.1K

10.73%

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

$181 A$260

$234 A$336

-22.71%

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

$26.41 A$38.00

$27.93 A$40.19

-5.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 A$80.5

$55.7 A$80.2

0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.38 A$39.40

$49.40 A$71.1

-44.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 A$22.40

$15.09 A$21.72

3.18%

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

$2,183 A$3,142

$2,371 A$3,412

-7.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K A$28.7K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-33.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 A$109

$80.0 A$115

-5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 A$81.3

$50.7 A$73.0

11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$151

$121 A$174

-12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$130 A$188

1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 A$1,317

$1,759 A$2,531

-47.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 A$993

$1,390 A$2,000

-50.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 A$2,173

$3,494 A$5,027

-56.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 A$1,625

$2,493 A$3,588

-54.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,429 A$4,934

$6,926 A$9,967

-50.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,419 A$3,480

$6,445 A$9,274

-62.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.9

0.85%

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

Last update for Wagga Wagga: October 10, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wagga Wagga

$690 36.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 102% $700

Groceries & Markets

Wagga Wagga

$394 21.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 2.5% $9.9

Eating Out

Wagga Wagga

$273 14.6%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 15% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wagga Wagga

$263 14.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 20.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Wagga Wagga

$167 8.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 3.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Wagga Wagga

$59 3.1%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 36% $21

Getting Around

Wagga Wagga

$25 * 1.3%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 556% $139

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 $916 in Wagga Wagga and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88.0 in Wagga Wagga vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $384 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wagga Wagga

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

Same time as Wagga Wagga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,686

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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Wagga Wagga Melbourne 370 km

From you

Wagga Wagga
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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

Wagga Wagga vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wagga Wagga and Melbourne differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,870 vs $2,821 including rent). Wagga Wagga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,805 in Wagga Wagga and $4,231 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: $916 in Wagga Wagga versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,870 per month in Wagga Wagga versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,870 in Wagga Wagga versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wagga Wagga but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Wagga Wagga 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, Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.