If you’re considering migration to Australia, a frequently asked question is about the cost of living in Australia. Listed below are the prices for common items found in the central business district or inner suburbs of Melbourne at the time of writing.* To calculate the cost in your local currency, use a free converter such as XE.

Air conditioner, 5.2KW Cooling, 6.2KW Heating – Fujitsu $1699.

Aluminium foil, 20 metre (m) x 30 cm roll – generic brand $3.66

Anti-perspirant (men’s), 78 grams (g) – Gillette Clear Gel $6.18

Apples, 1.5 kilograms (kg) – ‘Red Delicious’ from supermarket $4.95

Bananas, 1 kg – from market $1.99

BBQ grill – Jackeroo Burwood Roaster 4 Burner $169.

Beef mince, lean, 500 g – from supermarket $6.00

Beer, 375 mL bottle 24 pack – Crown Lager (local premium) $49.99

Big Mac (McDonald’s) $4.35

Blu-ray disc player – Toshiba $279.

Board game – Monopoly $39.95

Book, bestselling paperback $22.99

Boxer shorts (men’s), 3 pack $15.00

Bread, sliced loaf – Tip Top Sunblest Wholemeal, 650 g $3.79

Butter, slightly salted, 250 g – Lurpak $4.73

Camera, digital – Sony Cybershot 12.1 Megapixel, 3x Optical Zoom $149.

Candy bar – Mars, 53 g $1.91

Car, new, base price – Nissan Maxima 2.5 250 ST-L xtronic CVT $33,990

Cereal, 775 g box – Kellogg’s Corn Flakes $6.19

Cheese, 750 g block – Bega Tasty $10.89

Clock radio/alarm – Sony with iPod dock $176.

Cola, 375 mL 24 pack cans – major name brand $24.84

Coffee, instant, 150 g – Nescafe Mild Roast $8.71

Coffee, small latte takeaway $3.25

Computer – Dell Intel i3 w/ 18.5” Monitor 4GB RAM 500GB Hard Drive $999.

Concert ticket – int’l tour, popular act, best available seat $125

Condoms, 12 pack – Durex Natural Feel $7.12

Dishwashing liquid, 600 mL bottle – Palmolive Lemon $4.57

Doritos, bag, 200g $3.26

DVD rental, new release, overnight $6.00

Eggs, one dozen x-large cage – supermarket brand $2.50

Fertiliser, All Purpose garden – Brunnings NPK, 500g $2.61

Flour, plain, 1 kg – supermarket brand $2.61

Football game ticket, reserved seat $45

Formula, infant, Nestle Nan Pro Gold from 6mos Follow On, 900 g $25.69

Foxtel (cable TV), all channels Platinum iQ – monthly $120

Glass cleaner, Windex, 500 mL $4.24

Greeting card, regular size – Hallmark $4.99

GPS system – Navman MY50T $236.

Honey, Beechworth Honey Squeeze, 375g $5.22

Ice cream, Bulla Creamy Classics Vanilla, 2 L $7.50

iPhone 3G handset, 8 GB (does not include usage) $719.

iPod Classic, 160 GB $329.

Jam, strawberry conserve 500 g jar – Cottee’s $3.77

Kettle – Sunbeam 2400 W cordless, 1.7L $44.95

Laundry soap, powder – Omo Small & Mighty, 1 kg $11.98

Light globe, mini spiral 18 watt edison screw – supermarket brand $10.88

Magazine, annual subscription – Good Health $54.95

Mascara, tube – L’Oreal Telescopic Explosion $26.95

Mattress, queen-sized – Sealy Spinecare Deluxe Ensemble $999.

Meat, deli roasted ham, 1 kg $15.50

Microwave oven, 1100W – Sharp Touch control $199.

Milk, reduced-fat, 2 L – supermarket brand $2.99

Motor oil, 1 L – Shell Helix Plus 15W-50 $14.70

Movie, Blu-ray new release $35

Movie, theatre ticket, one adult $17.50

Mustard, 215 g – Maille Dijon $3.90

Nappies – Huggies Crawler Ultra Dry 6-11 kg 30 pack $14.98

Nintendo Wii game console $379.

Olive oil, 1 L – Bertolli Extra Virgin $13.61

Oregano, dried, 18 g – Masterfoods $4.76

Oreo cookies, 300 g $3.48

Paint – Dulux Designer Silk, 10 L $169.

Pain reliever, 24 pack Panadol Gel Capsules $4.02

Paper towels, 2 pack rolls – Kleenex Viva $4.89

Pasta, spaghetti – Barilla 500 g $2.73

Perfume – Calvin Klein Eternity for Women Eau de Parfum spray 100 mL $120.

Petrol (fuel), premium unleaded, 1 L $1.22

Photo, 4” x 6” print $0.29

Pillow – HealthGuard $20

Pizza, large – Pizza Hut Super Supreme, ordered online $7.95

Popcorn, microwave – Uncle Toby’s Butter, 3 family bag pack $4.96

Printer – HP Laserjet, 14 ppm black, 1200 dpi $137.

Razors – Gillette Sensor 3 Disposable 4 pack $7.19

Refrigerator, 410 L Frost Free – Whirlpool $899.

Rice – Uncle Ben’s Long Grain White, 500 g $2.83

Rubbish bin bags – Glad Wave Top Tie Citrus 27 L, 72 pack $7.07

Sausages, pork, 1 kg – supermarket brand $7.86

Sheets, queen set (flat, fitted and two pillowcases), 225 thread count $59

Sneakers, men’s – Nike Air Max Tailwind + 2010 $199.99

Soap, bar – Nivea Bath Care Creme 2 pack $4.24

Sponges – Stay Fresh Thick 3 pack $3.80

Stereo system, compact with 3 disc changer – Jensen $179.

Subway foot-long Club sandwich $8.75

Sugar, white granulated, 1 kg – supermarket brand $1.62

Tampons, Carefree Regular 20 pack $5.19

Tea, English Breakfast, Twinings Classics 100 bag pack $9.69

Television, HD, LCD, 32” – LG $799.

Tissues, box – Kleenex, 250 pack $3.15

Toilet paper – Kleenex Cottonelle 8 roll pack $7.18

Tomato sauce (ketchup), 920 mL – Masterfoods $4.57

Toothpaste, 175 g tube – Colgate Regular flavour $3.59

Towel, bath, 69 x 140 cm, good quality $17.00

Undershirts, men’s, cotton, good quality, 2 pack $19.99

Vacuum cleaner – Dyson upright $599.

Vitamins, multi – Centrum, 100 tablets $22.99

Vodka, bottle – Absolut, 700 mL $41.99

Washing machine, front load, 1000 rpm spin – Whirlpool 7.5 kg $699.

Water, bottled – Frantelle Natural Spring 600 mL bottle 12 pack $8.27

Wine, 750 mL bottle, good quality Australian red $30.00

You can find most of the major retailers’ catalogues online at Lasoo.

If you’re looking for a product review site, try Choice, which allows you to compare products and find independent reviews.

Australian prices can be relatively high. Are you interested in moving to Australia? What other information are you missing?

Packed with helpful resources, anecdotes and advice, the Moving to Australia eBook is an excellent guide to those seeking information about migration to Australia. Whether you want to work in Australia long-term or just have a working holiday in Australia, this book will assist you with all aspects of your journey. All Australian visas are also outlined, such as skilled immigration visas, student visas and visas for those who have already found jobs in Australia.

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*All prices are listed in Australian dollars (AUD). This list is intended to give you an idea of what things cost so that you can calculate a cost of living adjustment. Prices on some items can change quickly so please use this as a general guide only to determine the relative cost of living in Australia. You may find items to be significantly more expensive in regional and rural areas or in cities outside of Melbourne. The prices listed here do not reflect sale or special discount prices.





