Melbourne vs Geelong: Cost of Living and Lifestyle Differences

If you’re thinking to move to one of these amazing Victorian cities you’ll need to weigh up the cost of living. In this article we’ll analyse all the factors that affect the cost of living in Melbourne vs Geelong as before you plan a move into regional Victoria it’s worth taking a hard look at the financial realities of both places.

➜ Related: Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne vs Ballarat

Melbourne vs Geelong: Overview

Rising costs means that there are many people in Victoria looking for cheaper places to live and moving to a regional area is becoming popular. There is less traffic, community feels stronger and life seems more relaxed. Geelong is also safer and has a more natural environment.

Geelong is less busy than Melbourne but it has most of the amenities of a city. Of course, Melbourne is the right choice for you if you like nightlife or live music as Geelong is a little more rural and wild.

Melbourne commuters have found it easier to commute from/to Geelong due to improved transportation and It has brought a more urban feel to Geelong with new cafes and unique local businesses.

If you’re looking for families Geelong might be the place and if you are younger looking for a fun lifestyle maybe you prefer the energy and diversity of Melbourne.

Melbourne vs Geelong: Cost Of Living

Let’s break down the cost of living in these two vibrant cities: Melbourne and Geelong. Find out which city will give you the best of both worlds, affordable living with a good lifestyle.

Housing/Apartments

Housing significantly impacts the cost of living in Geelong. The price of housing fluctuates based on location and size.

Shared accommodations, like houses or units, involve sharing expenses like electricity, gas, water, and sometimes internet, in addition to the room rent.

The cost of housing has a big impact on the cost of living in Geelong. The price of housing rises and falls according to the location and the size.

In shared accommodations, such as houses or units, expenses such as electricity, gas, water, and sometimes internet are shared apart from the room rent.

The difference of utility fees between Melbourne vs Geelong is illustrated in the table below from numbeo.com.

Utilities (Monthly)	Melbourne	Geelong
Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment	$221.56	$218.33
Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data	$37.83	$34.40
Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)	$78.53	$78.53

The rental rates of Geelong are generally lower than in big cities like Melbourne or Sydney. The cost of renting a single room in a shared house generally goes between $120 and $150 a week. For renting an entire apartment/unit or house, the starting price is from $250 per week or more.

The table below from numbeo.com highlights the difference of rent per month between Melbourne vs Geelong.

Rent Per Month	Melbourne	Geelong
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre	$2,240.70	$2,192.69
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre	$1,885.75	$1,380.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre	$4,231.72	$1,875.00
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre	$2,702.29	$1,850.00

As you can see location is a crucial factor. A one bedroom apartment in the city centre will cost you around $2,200 while if you move further you could find something similar for $400 less.

The following table from numbeo.com highlights the variety of apartments price in Melbourne vs Geelong.

Buy Apartment Price	Melbourne	Geelong
Price per Square Metre to Buy Apartment in City Centre	$10,841.44	$10,200.00
Price per Square Metre to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	$8,506.32	$8,100.00

Transportation

How much will it cost to get around Geelong depends on where you’re coming from and how you choose to travel. The monthly pass allows frequent public transport users to save some money.

It’s convenient to live in a central location where you can walk or bike as the cost of a one way public transport ticket is about $3.50.

As we can see in the table below from numbeo.com, transportation fees in Melbourne vs Geelong are very different.

Transportation	Melbourne	Geelong
One-way Ticket (Local Transport)	$5.30	$10.60
Monthly Pass (Regular Price)	$180.00	$182.40
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)	$5.50	$5.50
Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)	$3.00	$3.00
Taxi 1 hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)	$40.56	$40.56
Gasoline (1 litre)	$1.91	$1.82
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car)	$44,423.00	$44,423.0
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car)	$34,983.94	$34,983.94

Food

The cost of a meal at mid range restaurants is anywhere between $20 and $50 AUD per person, depending on location and then type of cuisine. Some high end restaurants will cost up to $100 AUD a person and above.

The table below from numbeo.com highlights the difference in food and restaurant fees between Melbourne and Geelong.

Restaurant	Melbourne	Geelong
Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant	$25.00	$25.00
Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course	$100.00	$100.00
McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal)	$15.00	$15.00
Domestic Beer (0.5 litre draught)	12.00	$9.50
Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle)	$11.00	$8.00
Cappuccino (regular)	$5.24	$5.24
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 litre bottle)	$4.01	$4.01
Water (0.33 litre bottle)	$3.47	$3.25

Food cost less in Geelong compared to Melbourne. Depending on your dietary needs and what brands you are used to, you should expect to spend between $50 and $100 AUD per week if you are a single person.

We can see the difference of the price of basic goods between Melbourne vs Geelong in the table below from numbeo.com.

Markets	Melbourne	Geelong
Milk (regular), (1 litre)	$2.14	$2.14
Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g)	$3.91	$3.44
Rice (white), (1kg)	$3.37	$1.40
Eggs (regular) (12)	$6.19	$3.97
Local Cheese (1kg)	$$13.82	$12.00
Chicken Fillets (1kg)	13.57	$13.57
Beef Round (1kg) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)	$20.36	$20.36
Apples (1kg)	$4.67	$4.50
Banana (1kg)	$4.02	$4.02
Oranges (1kg)	$3.91	$3.91
Tomato (1kg)	$5.51	$3.90
Potato (1kg)	$3.34	$3.34
Onion (1kg)	$3.19	$3.19
Lettuce (1 head)	$3.25	$2.90
Water (1.5 litre bottle)	$2.04	$2.04
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	$17.50	$17.50
Domestic Beer (0.5 litre bottle)	$6.78	$5.49
Imported Beer (0.33 litre bottle)	$7.88	$5.00
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro)	$45.00	$45.00

Sports and Leisure

Melbourne as well as Geelong provide a large variety of sporting and leisure activities. Whether it be world class events or local community sports, there’s something for everyone.

The table below (from numbeo.com) shows the difference of sports and leisure fees between Melbourne and Geelong.

Sports And Leisure	Melbourne	Geelong
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult	$79.13	$103.50
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend)	$25.00	$22.05
Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat	$22.00	$16.00

Childcare Costs

In major Australian cities childcare costs can be a real blow to family budgets. To assist you make a decision here we’ll compare the average childcare Melbourne and Geelong costs.

As seen in the table below from numbeo.com, Melbourne vs Geelong differs a lot when we talk about childcare costs.

Childcare	Melbourne	Geelong
Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child	$2,775.15	$2,775.15
International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child	$31,694.70	$31,694.70

Clothing and Shoes

Due to Australia’s changing temperatures, the wardrobe has to adjust as well.

To represent the difference in clothing costs between Melbourne vs Geelong, we have used the table below from numbeo.com.

Clothing And Shoes	Melbourne	Geelong
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)	$116.43 A	$106.67 A$
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, …)	$75.72 A$	$68.33 A$
1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	$163.42 A$	$152.50 A$
1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes	$166.60 A$	$136.67 A$

Melbourne vs Geelong: Pros and Cons

Here is what you need to know before you move and hire a removalist between Melbourne and Geelong.

Balanced lifestyle and a coastal serenity with urban conveniences are the strengths of Geelong. Its location positioned between Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road ensures convenience and access to the lively city life but also to really breathtaking natural landscapes.

The city is also well connected with good transportation, has plenty of arts and culture and several outdoor recreational opportunities. It also has a friendly atmosphere, affordable living costs and a good community which makes Geelong a good place to live.

Even if Geelong has a good variety of shows and things to do doesn’t have as many as Melbourne has and same happens with job opportunities, Geelong has a limited market job. Sometimes can get also really windy.

Melbourne in the other side is a very active city with a large variety of cultural and entertainment shows. For the sports enthusiast it is a dream of a place with the Australia Open and the F1 races happening every year . The bad news? Melbourne’s weather is unpredictable and it’s expensive to live there.

Top Melbourne Neighbourhoods

There are neighbourhoods in Melbourne to suit most lifestyles.

• Kensington: A quiet suburb with schools, shopping centres, dining restaurants and a warm welcoming community.
• Bentleigh: A family friendly neighborhood with schools, parks, places to shop and eat and located near the beach.
• Richmond: A trendy inner city suburb with good shopping, nice eating places and good schools. It’s also well connected to public transportation.
• Northcote: A good family choice with schools, public transport, shopping centres and good dining options.
• Mount Waverley: It’s a peaceful suburb nicely located further to the city centre and with schools, shops and good restaurants.
• Southbank: Surrounding the city centre, this is a good neighbourhood where you can enjoy the river views, dine and be entertained by the local culture.

Top Geelong Neighbourhoods

Here are five popular and highly regarded neighbourhoods based on their amenities, lifestyle, and appeal:

• Newtown: Newtown is known for its tree-lined streets, a great coffee scene and easy access to the city centre and the Barwon River.
• Ocean Grove: Ocean Grove is a coastal suburb with stunning surf beaches, nature reserves and an active chill lifestyle.
• Torquay: Torquay is a coastal town known for great waves and beaches, a huge surf culture and a life outdoors.
• Highton: Highton is a family friendly suburb with good schools, parks and shopping.
• Belmont: Belmont has a good mix of old and newer homes, it’s centrally located and easily accessible to amenities and transportation.

As you see there are many great neighbourhoods in Geelong but ultimately, it’s all dependent on what you want and need.

Melbourne vs Geelong: Climate

Geelong has hot and dry summers with some heat waves. The winters are mild and wet, sometimes cold with even snow at higher areas. The city is close enough to the ocean to help regulate temperatures, with cooling sea breezes during the summer.

Melbourne’s weather is famous for not being able to be predicted and can change very quickly throughout the day, with mild summers and heat waves too. The temperatures cool off in autumn and winters are cold and cloudy. Weather in spring is changing from what you had in winter to what you will have in summer The wettest month is October.

Melbourne vs Geelong: Transportation Options

Geelong offers a good range of transport options: Buses and trains are part of public transportation connecting different neighbourhoods and cities. Point to point travel is easy and taxis and ride sharing services are easy to catch. The city’s attractions are easy to reach by cycling and walking. Also you have the option to rent a car for more independent travelling.

Melbourne also has a good transport system of trams, buses and trains. You need a Myki card to use public transport, and the Free Tram Zone allows free rides within the city centre. Taxis and ubers are of course available too.

For a Smooth Transition, Contact North Removals

Deciding between living in Geelong versus Melbourne is a difficult decision. Geelong is not an expensive place to live but it’s also not full of jobs and opportunities.

Compared with the cost of living of Sydney and Melbourne, Geelong is relatively affordable to live. But your actual expenses will depend on the lifestyle you choose.

Geelong has a great quality of life however as with many things in life it comes at a cost and it’s worth looking at the price of the basics before you relocate. If you would like a smooth transition contact North Removals.