Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Warrnambool and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Warrnambool: $2,544 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Warrnambool
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Warrnambool Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Warrnambool

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,544

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,544 in Warrnambool versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Warrnambool $2,544
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,638 in Warrnambool versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Warrnambool $3,638
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,733 in Warrnambool versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Warrnambool $4,733
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Warrnambool costs roughly 10% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Warrnambool 88% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 A$24.58

$17.34 A$24.76

-0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 A$119

$82.7 A$118

0.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 A$13.35

$12.63 A$18.04

-25.97%

Cappuccino

$4.15 A$5.92

$4.22 A$6.03

-1.66%

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

$3.16 A$4.51

$3.12 A$4.45

1.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 A$3.68

$2.48 A$3.54

4.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.76 A$13.94

$9.69 A$13.84

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.24 A$11.77

$8.30 A$11.86

-0.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.24

$1.50 A$2.15

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$3.08 A$4.39

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.65

$2.64 A$3.77

-3.03%

Eggs

$4.69 A$6.70

$5.58 A$7.96

-15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.30

$9.78 A$13.97

9.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 A$14.31

$9.52 A$13.60

5.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 A$21.26

$15.18 A$21.68

-1.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.79

$4.22 A$6.03

-4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 A$2.43

$3.13 A$4.47

-45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$3.24 A$4.63

-0.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 A$6.85

$4.71 A$6.72

1.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.30

$3.13 A$4.47

-3.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.64

$2.46 A$3.51

3.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.40 A$3.43

4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.31

$1.47 A$2.10

10.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.83 A$64.0

$42.76 A$61.1

4.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.76

$12.90 A$18.42

-3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.56 A$7.94

$5.53 A$7.90

0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.41

$5.16 A$7.36

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.89

$3.79 A$5.42

-28.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.9 A$120

$141 A$202

-40.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 A$6.54

$3.75 A$5.36

22.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 A$1.98

$1.44 A$2.06

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 A$43.54

$28.93 A$41.32

5.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.79

$1.45 A$2.07

-13.79%

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

$28.9K A$41.3K

$29.6K A$42.2K

-2.31%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$26.3K A$37.5K

-1.45%

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

$233 A$332

$229 A$327

1.67%

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

$28.40 A$40.55

$26.76 A$38.22

6.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.4

$57.5 A$82.2

-0.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 A$80.7

$49.77 A$71.1

13.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.48 A$24.96

$21.45 A$30.63

-18.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.62 A$25.17

$17.43 A$24.90

1.09%

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

$2,420 A$3,456

$2,435 A$3,477

-0.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K A$43.0K

$33.6K A$48.0K

-10.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$113

$80.4 A$115

-1.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$72.9

$51.5 A$73.5

-0.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.69 A$71.0

$121 A$173

-59.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 A$2,017

$1,748 A$2,497

-19.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 A$1,725

$1,386 A$1,979

-12.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,273 A$3,246

$3,468 A$4,952

-34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 A$2,555

$2,520 A$3,598

-29.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,883 A$8,402

$8,274 A$11.8K

-28.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,959 A$7,082

$7,066 A$10.1K

-29.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,347 A$1,924

$4,206 A$6,007

-67.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

5.97

-18.43%

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

Last update for Warrnambool: October 31, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Warrnambool

$1.2K 47.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 14.8% $178

Groceries & Markets

Warrnambool

$375 14.8%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 2% $7.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Warrnambool

$318 12.5%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 1.5% $4.9

Eating Out

Warrnambool

$304 11.9%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 3.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Warrnambool

$141 5.6%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 23.1% $33

Getting Around

Warrnambool

$106 4.2%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 57.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Warrnambool

$92 3.6%

Melbourne

$85 3% 7.7% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,412 in Warrnambool and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Warrnambool vs $83 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $383 per month, with Warrnambool cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Warrnambool

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

Same time as Warrnambool

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,284

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Warrnambool vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,544 in Warrnambool and $2,823 in Melbourne, so Warrnambool is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Warrnambool. 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: $1,412 in Warrnambool versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,420 in Warrnambool versus $2,435 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,544 per month in Warrnambool versus $2,823 in Melbourne – Warrnambool is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Warrnambool and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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