Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst, Australia and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathurst: $2,475 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Bathurst

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,475

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bathurst and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bathurst and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,475 per month in Bathurst vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Bathurst $2,475
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,595 per month in Bathurst vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Bathurst $3,595
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,716 per month in Bathurst vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Bathurst $4,716
Melbourne $5,699

Bathurst is about 13% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bathurst and Melbourne sit above the global median – Bathurst by 82%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.54 A$22.19

$17.50 A$24.99

-11.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 A$121

$84.3 A$120

0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 A$15.21

$12.17 A$17.38

-12.49%

Cappuccino

$3.69 A$5.27

$4.07 A$5.82

-9.34%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 A$3.98

$3.18 A$4.54

-12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.15

$2.50 A$3.57

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 A$6.94

$9.57 A$13.67

-49.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 A$11.11

$8.25 A$11.78

-5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 A$2.78

$1.50 A$2.15

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.80

$2.97 A$4.24

-10.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.28

$2.68 A$3.83

-14.18%

Eggs

$4.84 A$6.91

$5.45 A$7.79

-11.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 A$13.43

$10.71 A$15.30

-12.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 A$12.92

$10.05 A$14.35

-9.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 A$21.33

$15.00 A$21.42

-0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 A$5.58

$4.07 A$5.81

-3.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.29

$3.14 A$4.48

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.81

$3.12 A$4.45

8.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 A$6.61

$4.73 A$6.76

-2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.03

$2.98 A$4.26

-5.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.53

$2.49 A$3.56

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.45

$2.48 A$3.54

-2.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.60 A$2.28

-3.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.20 A$58.8

$44.65 A$63.8

-7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 A$19.71

$12.68 A$18.11

8.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 A$6.68

$5.55 A$7.92

-15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 A$7.26

$5.18 A$7.40

-1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 A$4.01

$3.84 A$5.48

-27.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.4 A$115

$139 A$198

-42.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 A$4.97

$4.36 A$6.22

-20.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.32

$1.37 A$1.95

18.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.49 A$57.8

$29.72 A$42.45

36.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.49 A$2.12

-8.72%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.8K A$42.6K

$29.1K A$41.5K

2.52%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.4K A$37.8K

$25.7K A$36.7K

3.01%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$209 A$298

$236 A$337

-11.43%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$42.23 A$60.3

$28.01 A$40.01

50.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 A$88.8

$57.2 A$81.7

8.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 A$78.3

$48.39 A$69.1

13.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.74 A$25.33

$21.46 A$30.65

-17.33%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 A$19.58

$17.67 A$25.23

-22.41%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,117 A$3,023

$2,461 A$3,515

-13.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$29.0K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-31.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 A$110

$81.2 A$116

-5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$76.9

$49.28 A$70.4

9.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$154

$120 A$171

-9.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$176

$131 A$187

-5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 A$1,953

$1,703 A$2,432

-19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 A$1,690

$1,409 A$2,012

-16.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 A$3,026

$3,496 A$4,992

-39.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 A$2,598

$2,527 A$3,608

-28.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,942 A$8,485

$7,978 A$11.4K

-25.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,012 A$7,157

$6,900 A$9,854

-27.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,079

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bathurst: October 24, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bathurst

$1.2K 47.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 19.1% $225

Groceries & Markets

Bathurst

$370 14.9%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 4.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bathurst

$313 12.7%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 2.5% $7.8

Eating Out

Bathurst

$260 10.5%

Melbourne

$312 11% 20% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Bathurst

$163 6.6%

Melbourne

$171 6% 5.2% $8.4

Getting Around

Bathurst

$103 4.2%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 60% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Bathurst

$82 3.3%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 1.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,367 in Bathurst versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Bathurst versus $84 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $386 – making Bathurst the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bathurst

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

18:28 6:28 PM

Same time as Bathurst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,230

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bathurst Melbourne 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bathurst
Melbourne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bathurst vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,713 per month in Bathurst and $4,273 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bathurst, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,367 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,475 in Bathurst and $2,849 in Melbourne. That makes Bathurst about 13% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,117 per month in Bathurst and $2,461 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Bathurst – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.