Because of the huge demand from potential migrants to know exactly how much life in Australia will cost them, I’m continuing with this series of posts on the cost of living around Australia. This post focuses on the cost of living in Melbourne as of 2018. Melbourne based Claudia and her partner have kindly shared what the cost of living in Melbourne is like for their family of 2.
Claudia and her partner have lived in Melbourne since July 2016, when they moved to Australia from Johannesburg.
They live in Mount Waverley and are both employed – Claudia is teacher.
What made you decide to settle in your current location?
Friends offered us a support base whilst job searching.
Does your city suit your needs, and how?
Yes, great for eating out. Awesome food and coffee culture. Loads to see and do. Lovely parks, areas to entertain and places to eat.
What do you like to do in your spare time in your city? Are there lots of free things to do or is there usually a fee attached?
There are many free things and also many things that require payment. We like eating out, attending festivals and going to parks.
Can you breakdown your essential spending please – in monthly costs?
Rent: $2210
Gas: none
Electricity: $200
Water/Water Rates: $20
Shire Rates: none we rent
Home Insurance: $27
Car Insurance: $52 per car
Car Rego: $66
Fuel: one car $50, other car $100 a month
Public transport: none really, sometimes $3
Phone & Internet: internet $80 uncapped internet
Mobile Phones: two cellphones $130
Grocery Shopping: $600
Private Health Insurance: $241
Home Entertainment (Foxtel/Netflix/Spotify etc): none
Childcare fees: none
School Fees: none
Entertainment (eating out/cinema/etc): $1000
Car loans: none
Personal Insurances (life insurance/TPD cover/critical illness insurance/income protection): $110
Cost Of Living In Melbourne Total (not including entertainment): $3886
Cost Of Living In Melbourne Total (including entertainment): $4886
Do you think you pay more or less than people in other cities for any items in particular?
Not sure, less than Sydney but more than other areas in Australia.
Do you think you live frugally or do you spend whatever you want to on essentials and luxuries, or is it a balance between the two?
It is a bit frugal but we are conscious of saving and meet our saving goals each month. We do eat out a lot and shop for things we want and go on holidays.
What advice would you give to someone coming over to your city to live?
Stay with someone whilst looking for work.
If you could choose again, would you choose your current location or somewhere else in Australia? Why?
I would choose here, it is lovely.
Do you see yourself living long term in your current city? Why?
Yes, as long as it stays like this, because things work and the job offers are vast. The people are friendly and the entertainment and activities are great.
Are there any other cities you’d love to live in in Australia? Why?
Perhaps Gold Coast for the weather, but not the lack of job opportunities.
I hope that helps those of you who are trying to decide where in Australia to settle. The cost of living in Melbourne is not going to be particularly cheap, especially if you add in childcare or schooling costs, which Claudia doesn’t have.
If you’d like to share your cost of living expenses with migrants who are trying to work out where to live and what they need to earn to survive, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at howzit@proudlysouthafricaninperth.com or get in touch via my contact page.
For more information about life in Australia, check out How Does Childcare Work In Australia, my post about the cost of living in Perth in 2017, and 50 things you need to know before you migrate to Australia.
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