Melbourne is one of the most expensive places in the world to catch public transport, according to a study.

The study by Picodi.com compared public transport fares in 45 cities across the globe, examining the costs of single tickets and monthly passes with local average wages.

Australia ranks among the priciest countries globally, with Melbourne listed as one of the most expensive, the study found.

That’s the ticket

Public transport is entirely free for citizens in three of the 45 cities studied. These cities include Luxembourg; Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, and Valletta, the capital of Malta.

This approach shows a commitment to environmental sustainability and social welfare that we can only aspire to in Australia.

The most expensive single tickets were found in London, Zurich, and Oslo.

As for the priciest monthly passes, London ($404.86) took the top spot, followed by Melbourne ($283.85) and Dublin ($248).

A monthly pass in Melbourne costs 5.1 per cent of the average net wage in the city, making it one of the most expensive cities.

Aussie fares

The study offers intriguing insights into the affordability of public transport within Australia.

Among the 12 Australian cities included in the ranking, the most expensive single ticket was found in Hobart, at $5.76 while Sunshine Coast residents get the cheapest single tickets, priced at $2.

In terms of monthly passes, Melbourne residents pay the highest price, while on the Sunshine Coast a monthly pass costs $60.

Should it be free?

Some experts say it is time to consider a progressive approach by making public transport free.

Dr Mike Harris, lecturer in urban design and landscape architecture from the School of Built Environment at UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture, told UNSW Newsroom that ditching fares has benefits for cities and citizens.

“One of the ideas is it entices more drivers to leave their cars at home and switch to more economical and environmentally friendly modes of mass transit,“ Dr Harris said.

“But removing fares is another way to help people with the rising cost of living and improve equitable access to mobility.

“Public transport could arguably be considered a similar universal basic service, but for mobility.

“When you eliminate fares, it emphasises that public transport serves the public,” Dr Harris said.

“It shouldn’t be measured on whether it is profitable, but by how it improves quality of life for people.”

Methodology

For the Picodi.com study, average net wages were sourced from numbeo.com, and average exchange rate data from Google Finance for February 2023 was used for currency conversion.

The monthly passes included in the study allowed for unlimited travel within city limits using all means of transportation.