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Darwin vs Melbourne cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Darwin
๐ฆ๐บ Melbourne
At a glance
- Where Melbourne is clearly cheaper: Laundry (25%โ), Half-day tour (25%โ), Entry ticket (21%โ)
- Where Darwin is clearly cheaper: Beer (29%โ), Scooter rental (25%โ), Haircut (21%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Darwin 1 vs Melbourne 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Darwin | Melbourne | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 20$13.3 | A$ 24$16 | Darwin โ17% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 16$10.7 | A$ 15$10 | Melbourne โ6% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 45$30 | A$ 55$36.7 | Darwin โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.5$3.67 | A$ 5.6$3.73 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 10$6.67 | A$ 14$9.33 | Darwin โ29% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 17$11.3 | A$ 20$13.3 | Darwin โ15% |
| Bottled water | A$ 3.5$2.33 | A$ 4$2.67 | Darwin โ12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.5$3 | A$ 4.8$3.2 | Darwin โ6% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 16$10.7 | A$ 18$12 | Darwin โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 10$6.67 | A$ 11$7.33 | Darwin โ9% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 30$20 | A$ 40$26.7 | Darwin โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 160$107 | A$ 190$127 | Darwin โ16% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 1,800$1,200 | A$ 2,150$1,433 | Darwin โ16% |
| Laundry | A$ 10$6.67 | A$ 7.5$5 | Melbourne โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | A$ 30$20 | similar |
| Haircutcut | A$ 30$20 | A$ 38$25.3 | Darwin โ21% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 85$56.7 | A$ 85$56.7 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 120$80 | A$ 90$60 | Melbourne โ25% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 48$32 | A$ 38$25.3 | Melbourne โ21% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Darwin or Melbourne?
Darwin is 11% cheaper than Melbourne. Daily budget $215 vs $255; a month $4,900 vs $5,229.
Which is easier to travel, Darwin or Melbourne?
About the same: Darwin 1.6/5, Melbourne 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Darwin and Melbourne?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Darwin is about $4,900 and Melbourne about $5,229 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.