Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bowral and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Bowral: $2,461 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Bowral
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Bowral Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Bowral

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,461

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,461 in Bowral versus $2,849 in Melbourne.

Bowral $2,461
Melbourne $2,849

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,627 in Bowral versus $4,274 in Melbourne.

Bowral $3,627
Melbourne $4,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,793 in Bowral versus $5,699 in Melbourne.

Bowral $4,793
Melbourne $5,699

Living in Bowral costs roughly 14% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bowral 81% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.60 A$22.28

$17.50 A$24.99

-10.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 A$128

$84.3 A$120

6.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 A$15.12

$12.17 A$17.38

-12.98%

Cappuccino

$2.76 A$3.95

$4.07 A$5.82

-32.19%

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

$2.08 A$2.97

$3.18 A$4.54

-34.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 A$2.05

$2.50 A$3.57

-42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.52 A$12.17

$9.57 A$13.67

-10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.89 A$14.13

$8.25 A$11.78

19.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.13

$1.50 A$2.15

-0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 A$4.42

$2.97 A$4.24

4.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.57

$2.68 A$3.83

-6.72%

Eggs

$5.36 A$7.66

$5.45 A$7.79

-1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 A$18.20

$10.71 A$15.30

18.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.64 A$13.76

$10.05 A$14.35

-4.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 A$21.72

$15.00 A$21.42

1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 A$5.52

$4.07 A$5.81

-4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.58

$3.14 A$4.48

2.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 A$5.14

$3.12 A$4.45

15.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 A$7.40

$4.73 A$6.76

9.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$2.98 A$4.26

6.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.06

$2.49 A$3.56

14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 A$3.67

$2.48 A$3.54

3.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.96

$1.60 A$2.28

-14.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.12 A$64.4

$44.65 A$63.8

1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.32

$12.68 A$18.11

12.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.88

$5.55 A$7.92

-13.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 A$8.03

$5.18 A$7.40

8.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 A$4.23

$3.84 A$5.48

-22.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 A$116

$139 A$198

-41.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 A$5.65

$4.36 A$6.22

-9.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.37 A$1.95

19.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.97 A$62.8

$29.72 A$42.45

47.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.87

$1.49 A$2.12

-12.08%

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

$27.8K A$39.7K

$29.1K A$41.5K

-4.34%

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

$26.0K A$37.1K

$25.7K A$36.7K

1.13%

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

$182 A$261

$236 A$337

-22.58%

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

$26.81 A$38.29

$28.01 A$40.01

-4.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 A$80.6

$57.2 A$81.7

-1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 A$79.4

$48.39 A$69.1

14.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 A$25.19

$21.46 A$30.65

-17.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 A$22.04

$17.67 A$25.23

-12.68%

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

$2,372 A$3,387

$2,461 A$3,515

-3.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.8K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-32.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$109

$81.2 A$116

-5.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 A$81.5

$49.28 A$70.4

15.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$154

$120 A$171

-9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$186

$131 A$187

-0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 A$2,010

$1,703 A$2,432

-17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 A$1,680

$1,409 A$2,012

-16.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 A$3,101

$3,496 A$4,992

-37.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 A$2,639

$2,527 A$3,608

-26.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,792 A$8,272

$7,978 A$11.4K

-27.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,998 A$7,138

$6,900 A$9,854

-27.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,177 A$4,538

$4,257 A$6,079

-25.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.9

0.85%

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

Last update for Bowral: October 27, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bowral

$1.2K 47.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 19.7% $232

Groceries & Markets

Bowral

$394 16%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 1.9% $7.4

Eating Out

Bowral

$266 10.8%

Melbourne

$312 11% 17.4% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bowral

$266 10.8%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 20.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Bowral

$167 6.8%

Melbourne

$171 6% 2.6% $4.3

Getting Around

Bowral

$105 4.3%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 57.3% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Bowral

$86 3.5%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 3.2% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,408 in Bowral and $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Bowral vs $84 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $386 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bowral

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

19:51 7:51 PM

Same time as Bowral

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,764

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

Bowral Melbourne 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bowral
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

Bowral vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,461 in Bowral and $2,849 in Melbourne, so Bowral is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Bowral. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,408 in Bowral versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Bowral runs roughly 42% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,461 per month in Bowral versus $2,849 in Melbourne – Bowral is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Bowral and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Bowral wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.