Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bega NSW and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Bega NSW: $2,563 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Bega NSW
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Bega NSW Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Bega NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,563

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bega NSW 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 Bega NSW and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,563 per month in Bega NSW vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Bega NSW $2,563
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,832 per month in Bega NSW vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Bega NSW $3,832
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $5,101 per month in Bega NSW vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Bega NSW $5,101
Melbourne $5,699

Bega NSW is about 10% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bega NSW and Melbourne sit above the global median – Bega NSW by 88%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 A$28.14

$17.50 A$24.99

12.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.2 A$126

$84.3 A$120

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 A$15.52

$12.17 A$17.38

-10.68%

Cappuccino

$4.42 A$6.32

$4.07 A$5.82

8.60%

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

$2.96 A$4.22

$3.18 A$4.54

-6.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.82

$2.50 A$3.57

-20.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.51 A$12.15

$9.57 A$13.67

-11.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 A$9.93

$8.25 A$11.78

-15.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 A$1.99

$1.50 A$2.15

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 A$4.38

$2.97 A$4.24

3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.40

$2.68 A$3.83

-11.19%

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.68

$5.45 A$7.79

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 A$12.00

$10.71 A$15.30

-21.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 A$11.44

$10.05 A$14.35

-20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 A$24.17

$15.00 A$21.42

12.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 A$5.01

$4.07 A$5.81

-13.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.56

$3.14 A$4.48

1.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$3.12 A$4.45

1.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$7.03

$4.73 A$6.76

4.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.10

$2.98 A$4.26

-3.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$3.03

$2.49 A$3.56

-14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.33

$2.48 A$3.54

-6.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 A$2.13

$1.60 A$2.28

-6.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$47.68 A$68.1

$44.65 A$63.8

6.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 A$17.24

$12.68 A$18.11

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.21

$5.55 A$7.92

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.11

$5.18 A$7.40

9.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 A$4.32

$3.84 A$5.48

-21.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.9 A$120

$139 A$198

-39.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 A$5.11

$4.36 A$6.22

-17.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.37 A$1.95

10.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.04 A$60.0

$29.72 A$42.45

41.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.92

$1.49 A$2.12

-10.07%

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

$26.4K A$37.8K

$29.1K A$41.5K

-9.12%

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

$25.8K A$36.9K

$25.7K A$36.7K

0.53%

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

$217 A$309

$236 A$337

-8.05%

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

$24.85 A$35.49

$28.01 A$40.01

-11.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 A$78.1

$57.2 A$81.7

-4.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 A$75.7

$48.39 A$69.1

9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 A$22.56

$21.46 A$30.65

-26.37%

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 A$23.01

$17.67 A$25.23

-8.83%

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

$2,121 A$3,029

$2,461 A$3,515

-13.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K A$28.6K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-32.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 A$125

$81.2 A$116

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.4

$49.28 A$70.4

11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$165

$120 A$171

-3.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 A$169

$131 A$187

-9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 A$1,792

$1,703 A$2,432

-26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,746

$1,409 A$2,012

-13.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,541 A$3,629

$3,496 A$4,992

-27.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,084 A$2,977

$2,527 A$3,608

-17.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,268 A$8,951

$7,978 A$11.4K

-21.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,704 A$6,718

$6,900 A$9,854

-31.83%

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 Bega NSW: October 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bega NSW

$1.2K 47.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 15.3% $186

Groceries & Markets

Bega NSW

$363 14.2%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 6.5% $23

Eating Out

Bega NSW

$320 12.5%

Melbourne

$312 11% 2.2% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bega NSW

$296 11.6%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 8.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Bega NSW

$169 6.6%

Melbourne

$171 6% 1.2% $2

Getting Around

Bega NSW

$107 4.2%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 54.3% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Bega NSW

$85 3.3%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 1.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,255 in Bega NSW 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 $88 in Bega NSW versus $84 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Bega NSW vs $386 in Melbourne – so Bega NSW wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bega NSW

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

Same time as Bega NSW

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,683

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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Bega NSW Melbourne 450 km

From you

Bega NSW
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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

Bega NSW vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,844 per month in Bega NSW 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 Bega NSW, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,255 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Kindergarten costs $2,121 per month in Bega NSW and $2,461 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,563 in Bega NSW and $2,849 in Melbourne. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bega NSW – 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.