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Melbourne vs Tokyo cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Melbourne
๐ฏ๐ต Tokyo
At a glance
- Where Tokyo is clearly cheaper: Bottled water (67%โ), Street food (66%โ), Transit (63%โ)
- Where Melbourne is clearly cheaper: Taxi (26%โ), Laundry (26%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Melbourne 1 vs Tokyo 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Melbourne | Tokyo | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 24$16 | ยฅ 1,100$7.43 | Tokyo โ54% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 15$10 | ยฅ 500$3.38 | Tokyo โ66% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 55$36.7 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Tokyo โ26% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.6$3.73 | ยฅ 600$4.05 | Melbourne โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 14$9.33 | ยฅ 650$4.39 | Tokyo โ53% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 20$13.3 | ยฅ 1,500$10.1 | Tokyo โ24% |
| Bottled water | A$ 4$2.67 | ยฅ 130$0.88 | Tokyo โ67% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.8$3.2 | ยฅ 180$1.22 | Tokyo โ62% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 18$12 | ยฅ 2,400$16.2 | Melbourne โ26% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 11$7.33 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Tokyo โ8% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 5.7$3.8 | ยฅ 210$1.42 | Tokyo โ63% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 40$26.7 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ49% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 190$127 | ยฅ 16,000$108 | Tokyo โ15% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,150$1,433 | ยฅ 150,000$1,014 | Tokyo โ29% |
| Laundry | A$ 7.5$5 | ยฅ 1,000$6.76 | Melbourne โ26% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | ยฅ 2,500$16.9 | Tokyo โ16% |
| Haircutcut | A$ 38$25.3 | ยฅ 4,000$27 | Melbourne โ6% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 85$56.7 | ยฅ 5,500$37.2 | Tokyo โ34% |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 90$60 | ยฅ 9,000$60.8 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 38$25.3 | ยฅ 2,000$13.5 | Tokyo โ47% |
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, Melbourne or Tokyo?
Tokyo is 23% cheaper than Melbourne. Daily budget $255 vs $212; a month $5,229 vs $3,723.
Which is easier to travel, Melbourne or Tokyo?
About the same: Melbourne 1.6/5, Tokyo 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Melbourne and Tokyo?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Melbourne is about $5,229 and Tokyo about $3,723 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.