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Melbourne vs Porto

Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.

Melbourne, AU vs Porto, PT at a glance — Porto, PT is 25% cheaper than Melbourne, AU overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $1,050/mo versus $1,800/mo. Top income tax: 48% vs 45%.

$/ year

To keep the same standard of living in Porto, PT, you'd need

$56,086 / year

Porto, PT is 25% cheaper overall

Category breakdown (Porto, PT vs Melbourne, AU)

  • Housing-28%
  • Food & groceries-21%
  • Transport-35%
  • Utilities-12%
  • Healthcare-24%
  • Goods & services-24%

◎ How Melbourne, AU and Porto, PT compare

HousingFood & groceriesTransportUtilitiesHealthcareGoods & services
Melbourne, AUPorto, PT

Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.

▤ Full comparison

Melbourne, AUPorto, PT
Cost of living
Overall cost index11888
Housing138100
Food11288
Transport10065
Utilities10895
Healthcare9572
Goods & services11688
Housing
Rent, 1-bed centre$1,800/mo$1,050/mo
Rent, 1-bed outside$1,350/mo$780/mo
Rent, 3-bed centre$3,400/mo$2,000/mo
Buy price / m² centre$9,000$4,200
Money & purchasing power
$1,000 goes as far as$847$1,133
Inexpensive meal$17$11
Monthly transit pass$110$45
Taxes
Income tax (top rate)45%48%
VAT / sales tax10%23%
Corporate tax30%21%
Capital gains—28%
Economy & salaries
Avg net salary$3,900/mo$1,300/mo
Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP)$72,018✓$44,937✓
Minimum wage$2,600/mo$1,244/mo✓
GDP per capita$65,130✓$32,082✓
Inflation (annual)2.9%✓2.3%✓
Work & digital nomad
Digital-nomad visaNoYes
English proficiencyNativeModerate
Coworking spaces7045
Time zoneUTC+10UTC+0
Quality of life
Quality of life (overall)7373
Safety index6872
Healthcare index8576
Pollution index3038
Internet speed90 Mbps200 Mbps
Walkability7878
Public transport8070
Family-friendly7468
Tap waterSafe to drinkSafe to drink
Life expectancy83 yr✓82 yr✓
LGBTQ+ acceptanceHighHigh
Climate
January avg+20 °C+10 °C
July avg+10 °C+20 °C
Sunny days / year180220
Rainfall / year600 mm1,150 mm
Connectivity
Flight to nearest hub1.5 h1 h

Taxes & Economy & salaries: Australia vs Portugal. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.

✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), Eurostat 2026, World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →

Cost of living: Melbourne vs Porto — in your currency

MelbournePorto
1-bed rent, city centre$1,800$1,050
1-bed rent, outside centre$1,350$780
Inexpensive meal$17$11
Monthly transit pass$110$45
Utilities (monthly)$150$110

Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).

Good to know before you move to Melbourne

Coffee, laneways and a famously liveable city — cheaper than Sydney, with famously changeable weather.

Currency
Australian dollar ($ AUD)
Languages
English
Time zone
UTC+10
Internet
90 Mbps
English
Native language
Safety
68/100
Climate
❄ 20°C · ☀ 10°C · 180 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
I · 230V
Driving
Left-hand side
Popular areas
Fitzroy · St Kilda · Carlton

Good to know before you move to Porto

Portugal's soulful second city — port-wine cellars, granite churches and the Douro riverfront, at noticeably lower rents than Lisbon. A fast-growing nomad and expat base with the same sunshine and safety.

Currency
Euro (€ EUR)
Languages
Portuguese
Time zone
UTC+0
Internet
200 Mbps
English
Fairly common
Safety
72/100
Climate
❄ 10°C · ☀ 20°C · 220 sunny days/yr
Tap water
Safe to drink
Power
F · 230V
Driving
Right-hand side
Popular areas
Cedofeita · Foz do Douro · Bonfim · Ribeira

? Frequently asked questions

Moving from Melbourne to Porto: cheaper or more expensive?

Moving from Melbourne to Porto, your cost of living will be roughly 25% cheaper. Porto’s cost-of-living index is 88 versus 118 for Melbourne (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.

Is Melbourne cheaper than Porto?

Porto is about 25% cheaper than Melbourne overall — its cost-of-living index is 88 versus 118 for Melbourne.

Which is more expensive, Melbourne or Porto?

Melbourne is more expensive than Porto. Its cost-of-living index is 118 vs 88 (US = 100) — about 34% higher.

Is rent cheaper in Melbourne or Porto?

Rent is cheaper in Porto — about $1,050/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,800 in Melbourne.

How much do you need to earn in Porto to live like in Melbourne?

To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Melbourne is worth about $56,086 in Porto. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.

Which has lower taxes, Melbourne or Porto?

Australia has the lower top income-tax rate — 45% versus 48% in Portugal.

◷ More comparisons from Melbourne

How we calculate these figures →

Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.