MigrantoCost of living in Australia
Average monthly spending, by standard of living, by category, and against other countries
Monthly cost
A$3,740
what a typical person spends
Spending by standard of living
A$1,630richest 20%
A$9,350
Australia is a wealthy country, and it charges like one. Wages are strong, but so is the cost of almost everything a settled life runs on — a roof over your head, eating out, paying other people to do things for you. The gap between living comfortably here and just getting by is real without being a chasm; most people land somewhere in the broad middle.
Where people spend money in Australia
Housing takes the biggest bite, and it's the one cost you can't really argue with — you cover it before anything else. Getting around comes next, since the country is built around the car and the distances are long. After that it's what you do with your time off — going out, weekends away — the part of the budget that makes a place worth living in and the part you can dial up or down.
Living-cost calculator
What it costs to live in Australia
Tell us what you earn and spend today — we'll estimate what the same lifestyle would cost in Australia and how much you could have left each month
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- How much could be left each month
- How it compares with today
Cost of living in Australia
A$1,630/mo
vs A$1,140 in your country
Take-home
A$2,220
vs A$1,700 in your country
Potential savings
A$592
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How living costs in Australia compare
Australia sits at the very top of its region and among the priciest countries in the world. That standing is the cost of being a big, mature, high-income economy — when a place is this well-off, the price of everyday life rises to match. For someone deciding, it's the kind of country where you earn well and spend well, with little of either left to chance.
Data source: household consumption 2024 (World Bank), International Comparison Program 2021 (World Bank), category breakdown 2023 (United Nations Statistics Division), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of living in Australia?
A typical person in Australia spends about A$3,740 a month — around A$44,900 a year — on housing, groceries, transport and other everyday costs. It's a nationwide average across different regions, cities and types of housing.
What is the cost of living in Australia in US dollars?
The cost of living in Australia is about $2,633 a month, or roughly $31,596 a year per person.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Australia?
It all depends on your standard of living. A modest budget runs about A$1,630 a month per person, a typical one around A$3,740, and a comfortable life around A$5,120. In big cities and for a family, costs are usually higher.
What do people spend the most on in Australia?
The biggest expense is housing, at about A$886 a month (24% of spending). Then come transport (A$415, 11%) and leisure & culture (A$389, 10%).
Is the average salary in Australia enough to live on?
Yes, with room to spare. Average spending is about A$3,740 a month, while the average take-home pay in Australia is about A$5,560. For more on incomes, see salaries in Australia.
Is Australia an expensive country to live in?
Yes. Australia is more expensive than 95% of countries worldwide and ranks 1st of 11 in Oceania by cost of living.
Where to live?
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Living in Australia
See the full country overview