Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Melbourne is easier to travel (1.6 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Lombok 4 vs Melbourne 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Lombok | Melbourne | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 30,000$1.84 | A$ 24$16 | Lombok โ88% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 20,000$1.23 | A$ 15$10 | Lombok โ88% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 150,000$9.2 | A$ 55$36.7 | Lombok โ75% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 35,000$2.15 | A$ 5.6$3.73 | Lombok โ42% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | A$ 14$9.33 | Lombok โ67% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 100,000$6.13 | A$ 20$13.3 | Lombok โ54% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | A$ 4$2.67 | Lombok โ88% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 6,000$0.37 | A$ 4.8$3.2 | Lombok โ88% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 30,000$1.84 | A$ 18$12 | Lombok โ85% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 20,000$1.23 | A$ 11$7.33 | Lombok โ83% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 5,000$0.31 | A$ 5.7$3.8 | Lombok โ92% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 75,000$4.6 | A$ 40$26.7 | Lombok โ83% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 500,000$30.7 | A$ 190$127 | Lombok โ76% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 5,000,000$307 | A$ 2,150$1,433 | Lombok โ79% |
| Laundry | Rp 15,000$0.92 | A$ 7.5$5 | Lombok โ82% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 80,000$4.91 | A$ 30$20 | Lombok โ75% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 40,000$2.45 | A$ 38$25.3 | Lombok โ90% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 120,000$7.36 | A$ 85$56.7 | Lombok โ87% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 300,000$18.4 | A$ 90$60 | Lombok โ69% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 30,000$1.84 | A$ 38$25.3 | Lombok โ93% |
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%+.
Lombok is 77% cheaper than Melbourne. Daily budget $55.7 vs $255; a month $1,218 vs $5,229.
Melbourne is easier: Melbourne 1.6/5 vs Lombok 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lombok is about $1,218 and Melbourne about $5,229 per month.
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.