Living in Melbourne

In Melbourne, the median rent tenants pay is €1,073 a month (2021) and unemployment is 4.1% (2026).

Foreign-born residents accounted for 36.2% of the population in 2021. Melbourne, a city in Australia, had a population of 4,874,520 in 2021. For Melbourne, median personal income was A$841 per week in August 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0713 sources

Population4,874,520people30 Jun 2021Official source · ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas

Median gross salary (region)2,261EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent1,073EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02

Unemployment rate4.1%country median 4.5% — 9% belowIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

PM2.5, annual mean8.63µg/m³country median 6.0 — 44% aboveOfficial source · EPA Victoria AirWatch — validated 2024 hourly PM2.5 station observations

Lower unemployment than 61% of Australian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 92% of Australian cities that publish it.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Melbourne?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Melbourne.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$390 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$2,000 in August 2021.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1594

Utilities, 85 m² flat€140

Transport pass€102

Internet, 60 Mbps€49

Fitness club€44

Mobile plan, 10 GB€25

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	43.57 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	48.7 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,594 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	14.76 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.9 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Melbourne. Jul 2026. Prices in Melbourne¹⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	102 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	140.4 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	1,941,283 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Main residence dwellings	1,746,604 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	390 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly rent	1,073 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02¹Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,073 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02¹Official

Is Melbourne a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–63%

Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%

Student36%strong on education, weak on safety · range 28–44%

Family56%strong on family, weak on safety · range 47–65%

Retirement34%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 23–45%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 4.1% in March 2026. Median household income was A$1,900 per week in August 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Melbourne?

The unemployment rate is 4.1 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹¹

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Melbourne is 4.1%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Melbourne 4.1%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	1,441,377 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Employment rate	60.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	1,900 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	841 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,261 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁹Official
Average net monthly salary	3,746 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/au/melbourne/¹³Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	4.1 %country median 4.5%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹¹Independent

What does a salary buy in Melbourne?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€0of €0 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	outside the model's range
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02 · 2021-12-31	− €1,073
Public transport pass€102 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €102
Utilities, 85 m²€140 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €140
Internet€49 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €49
Mobile plan€25 · market price · Cost of Living in Melbourne. Jul 2026. Prices in Melbourne · 2026-07-31	− €25
Left over	—

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Melbourne Salary needed to live in Melbourne

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Melbourne. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Melbourne. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Aug 2026	Official public language-service provider/location register⁶Official
People who speak a language other than English at home	34.72 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

Language courses and integration in Melbourne

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

1publicly funded course provider

AMES Australia

View official record

Check courses in Melbourne How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Melbourne

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Melbourne?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 8.63 µg/m³ · EPA Victoria AirWatch — validated 2024 hourly PM2.5 station observations⁴

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

27°14°

24°13°

21°10°

17°8°

14°6°

13°6°

15°6°

17°7°

20°9°

23°11°

25°12°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.58.6WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Melbourne is 8.6 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Melbourne 8.6

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	8.63 µg/m³country median 6.0	31 Dec 2024	EPA Victoria AirWatch — validated 2024 hourly PM2.5 station observations⁴Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 27 · Feb 26.7 · Mar 24.4 · Apr 20.6 · May 16.7 · Jun 14 · Jul 13.4 · Aug 14.7 · Sep 17.1 · Oct 20 · Nov 22.6 · Dec 24.8 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — MELBOURNE AIRPORT, 1991-2020³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 14.2 · Feb 14.4 · Mar 12.8 · Apr 10.1 · May 8.3 · Jun 6.4 · Jul 5.8 · Aug 6 · Sep 7.2 · Oct 8.7 · Nov 10.6 · Dec 12.3 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — MELBOURNE AIRPORT, 1991-2020³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 20.8 · Feb 20.9 · Mar 19.1 · Apr 16 · May 13.6 · Jun 11.4 · Jul 10.9 · Aug 11.6 · Sep 13.4 · Oct 15.2 · Nov 17.3 · Dec 19 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station MELBOURNE OLYMPIC PARK⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 39.3 · Feb 41.4 · Mar 37.5 · Apr 42.1 · May 34.3 · Jun 41.5 · Jul 32.8 · Aug 39.3 · Sep 46.1 · Oct 48.5 · Nov 60.1 · Dec 52.5 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — MELBOURNE AIRPORT, 1991-2020³Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 8.8 · Feb 8.1 · Mar 7.3 · Apr 6.1 · May 4.7 · Jun 4.1 · Jul 4.4 · Aug 5.4 · Sep 6.2 · Oct 7.3 · Nov 7.5 · Dec 8.4 hours	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — MELBOURNE AIRPORT, 1991-2020³Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 7,100.1 km² in 2021. Population density was 750 people per km² in 2025.

How many people live in Melbourne?

The published population was 4,874,520 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport64.3%
Foreign residents35.7%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	7,100 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁵Official
Foreign-resident share	36.17 %	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Foreign residents	1,742,431 people	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Population density	750.4 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁷Official · significant urban area
Female residents	2,446,560 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Male residents	2,371,285 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Population	4,874,520 people	30 Jun 2021	ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

3,276,285

4,010,948

4,745,610

5,480,273

5,328,274200120052011201520212025

Population rose 55.4% between 2001 and 2025, from 3,428,284 to 5,328,274.

International community in Melbourne

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	4,817,843	100.0%
Australia	2,865,912	59.5%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	1,742,428	36.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	4,817,843	100.0%
Australia	2,865,912	59.5%
India	241,697	5.0%
Country of birth not stated	209,500	4.3%
Born elsewhere(d)	189,539	3.9%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	165,872	3.4%
England	129,002	2.7%
Vietnam	90,464	1.9%
New Zealand	81,598	1.7%
Sri Lanka	65,006	1.3%
Philippines	58,626	1.2%

Show 42 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Italy	57,681	1.2%
Malaysia	57,228	1.2%
Greece	44,848	0.9%
Pakistan	29,021	0.6%
South Africa	26,728	0.6%
Iraq	25,023	0.5%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	24,383	0.5%
Afghanistan	23,519	0.5%
Iran	20,903	0.4%
United States of America	19,909	0.4%
Indonesia	19,239	0.4%
Scotland	18,998	0.4%
Germany	18,631	0.4%
Nepal	18,500	0.4%
Lebanon	18,302	0.4%
North Macedonia	17,980	0.4%
Turkey	17,695	0.4%
Thailand	17,230	0.4%
Singapore	16,990	0.4%
Cambodia	16,253	0.3%
Malta	14,804	0.3%
Korea, Republic of (South)	14,708	0.3%
Ireland	14,496	0.3%
Egypt	13,269	0.3%
Poland	12,935	0.3%
Croatia	12,770	0.3%
Myanmar	12,370	0.3%
Mauritius	11,649	0.2%
Fiji	11,407	0.2%
Netherlands	11,116	0.2%
Bangladesh	9,663	0.2%
Taiwan	9,342	0.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	8,480	0.2%
Japan	8,421	0.2%
Canada	8,292	0.2%
Chile	7,806	0.2%
Samoa	7,169	0.1%
France	6,985	0.1%
Brazil	5,397	0.1%
Zimbabwe	4,980	0.1%
Wales	3,511	0.1%
Papua New Guinea	1,982	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	4,817,843	100.0%
Australian citizen	3,897,206	80.9%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	36.17 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Households	1,746,604 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Labour force participation rate	64.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median age	37 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	2,000 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Melbourne

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Sydney as a Melbourne alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Median gross pay, region: €2,409 Sydney vs €2,261 Melbourne+7%
Foreign residents: 40.6% Sydney vs 36.2% Melbourne+12%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €126 Sydney vs €140 Melbourne−10%
A meal out: €13 Sydney vs €15 Melbourne−13%
Unemployment: 4.2% Sydney vs 4.1% Melbournesame level
Residents: 4,858,605 Sydney vs 4,874,520 Melbourne−0%

Full comparison More about Sydney

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Melbourne, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Sydney4,858,605 residents Brisbane2,487,568 residents Perth2,098,239 residents Adelaide1,368,209 residents Gold Coast701,928 residents Newcastle510,175 residents

How does Melbourne compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Melbourne's.

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Melbourne in rankings

#1 of 30 in Largest cities in Australia #3 of 30 in Cities with the largest foreign populations #3 of 30 in Most international cities in Australia #4 of 30 in Largest cities in ImmigrationDB #28 of 30 in Cities with the highest foreign-population share #29 of 30 in Cities with lowest unemployment in Australia

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Melbourne when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Melbourne's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Melbourne?

The published population was 4,874,520 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas.

Is the air quality good in Melbourne?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 8.6 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EPA Victoria AirWatch — validated 2024 hourly PM2.5 station observations.

What is the unemployment rate in Melbourne?

The unemployment rate is 4.1 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

What is the typical salary around Melbourne?

The median gross salary is 2,261 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Melbourne?

1,742,431 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How much is public transport in Melbourne?

A monthly transport pass is 102 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Melbourne a good place to live?

Melbourne may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Melbourne?

The official country of birth distribution records 2,865,912 people (59.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Melbourne, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 0fcae76bd3b84c24b534e5e5855bc09f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/melbourne/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_melbourne-australia-population-rent-salary-jobs-taxes_094d6aec9859,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Melbourne, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {0fcae76bd3b84c24b534e5e5855bc09f},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/melbourne/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Melbourne, Australia: population, rent, salary, jobs, taxes](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/melbourne/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 0fcae76bd3b84c24b534e5e5855bc09f; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-25
ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas ABS Regional population, 2024-25 · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-19
BOM monthly climate statistics — MELBOURNE AIRPORT, 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
EPA Victoria AirWatch — validated 2024 hourly PM2.5 station observations EPA Victoria AirWatch · apps.epa.vic.gov.au · checked 2026-07-27
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Official public language-service provider/location register immi.homeaffairs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-15
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station MELBOURNE OLYMPIC PARK WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Melbourne. Jul 2026. Prices in Melbourne numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27

Show 3 more sources

DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/au/melbourne/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.