Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Broome, WA and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Broome, WA: $2,674 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Melbourne outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Broome, WA
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Broome, WA Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Broome, WA

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,674

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,674 in Broome, WA versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Broome, WA $2,674
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,424 in Broome, WA versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Broome, WA $4,424
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,173 in Broome, WA versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Broome, WA $6,173
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Broome, WA costs roughly 5% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Broome, WA 98% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.42 A$30.66

$17.34 A$24.82

23.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 A$120

$82.7 A$118

1.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$21.41 A$30.65

$12.63 A$18.08

69.52%

Cappuccino

$5.34 A$7.65

$4.22 A$6.04

26.54%

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

$3.91 A$5.59

$3.12 A$4.46

25.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.48 A$3.55

-12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 A$11.94

$9.69 A$13.87

-13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 A$10.33

$8.30 A$11.88

-13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.82 A$4.04

$1.50 A$2.15

88.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.84

$3.08 A$4.40

-12.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.21

$2.64 A$3.78

-15.15%

Eggs

$4.84 A$6.93

$5.58 A$7.98

-13.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.05

$9.78 A$14.01

-6.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 A$13.88

$9.52 A$13.63

1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 A$21.40

$15.18 A$21.73

-1.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 A$6.36

$4.22 A$6.04

5.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.67

$3.13 A$4.48

4.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 A$6.10

$3.24 A$4.64

31.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 A$7.96

$4.71 A$6.74

18.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 A$4.95

$3.13 A$4.48

10.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.61

$2.46 A$3.52

30.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.62 A$5.18

$2.40 A$3.44

50.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.28

$1.47 A$2.11

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.77 A$45.48

$42.76 A$61.2

-25.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.81 A$25.50

$12.90 A$18.47

38.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.64

$5.53 A$7.91

-16.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.39

$5.16 A$7.38

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 A$4.05

$3.79 A$5.43

-25.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 A$121

$141 A$202

-40.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$5.04

$3.75 A$5.37

-6.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

$1.44 A$2.07

13.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$69.3 A$99.3

$28.93 A$41.42

139.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.37

$1.45 A$2.07

14.48%

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

$28.5K A$40.8K

$29.6K A$42.3K

-3.59%

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

$22.9K A$32.8K

$26.3K A$37.6K

-12.74%

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

$205 A$293

$229 A$328

-10.52%

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

$27.98 A$40.06

$26.76 A$38.31

4.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.54 A$69.5

$57.5 A$82.4

-15.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 A$78.8

$49.77 A$71.3

10.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.09 A$23.03

$21.45 A$30.70

-24.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.24 A$24.68

$17.43 A$24.96

-1.09%

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

$1,067 A$1,527

$2,435 A$3,485

-56.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.2K

$33.6K A$48.1K

-39.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 A$153

$80.4 A$115

33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.9 A$101

$51.5 A$73.7

37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$157 A$224

$121 A$174

29.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$179

$134 A$191

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 A$2,125

$1,748 A$2,503

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 A$1,716

$1,386 A$1,984

-13.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,979 A$4,265

$3,468 A$4,964

-14.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,885 A$4,130

$2,520 A$3,607

14.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,948 A$8,515

$8,274 A$11.8K

-28.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,059 A$7,243

$7,066 A$10.1K

-28.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,918 A$5,609

$4,206 A$6,021

-6.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.97

-1.17%

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

Last update for Broome, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Broome, WA

$1.2K 44.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 15.6% $187

Groceries & Markets

Broome, WA

$410 15.3%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 6.7% $27

Eating Out

Broome, WA

$380 14.2%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 17.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Broome, WA

$281 10.5%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 11.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Broome, WA

$207 7.7%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 15.8% $33

Getting Around

Broome, WA

$108 4%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 55.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Broome, WA

$90 3.4%

Melbourne

$85 3% 5.4% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,484 in Broome, WA and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Broome, WA vs $83 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $383 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Broome, WA

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

3 h ahead of Broome, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,660

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Broome, WA Melbourne 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Broome, WA
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

Broome, WA vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,674 in Broome, WA and $2,823 in Melbourne, so Broome, WA is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Broome, WA. 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: $1,484 in Broome, WA versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,674 per month in Broome, WA versus $2,823 in Melbourne – Broome, WA is about 5% 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, Broome, WA and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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