Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Double Bay and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Double Bay: $2,715 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Double Bay
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Double Bay Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Double Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,715

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,715 per month in Double Bay vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Double Bay $2,715
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,760 per month in Double Bay vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Double Bay $3,760
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,804 per month in Double Bay vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Double Bay $4,804
Melbourne $5,699

Double Bay is about 5% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Double Bay and Melbourne sit above the global median – Double Bay by 100%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 A$25.03

$17.50 A$24.86

0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 A$126

$84.3 A$120

5.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 A$14.90

$12.17 A$17.29

-13.80%

Cappuccino

$4.06 A$5.77

$4.07 A$5.79

-0.25%

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

$2.77 A$3.94

$3.18 A$4.52

-12.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.17

$2.50 A$3.55

-10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 A$11.70

$9.57 A$13.60

-14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.24 A$10.29

$8.25 A$11.72

-12.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.14

$1.50 A$2.14

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 A$4.01

$2.97 A$4.22

-5.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.43

$2.68 A$3.81

-10.07%

Eggs

$5.22 A$7.42

$5.45 A$7.75

-4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.96 A$16.99

$10.71 A$15.22

11.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.25

$10.05 A$14.28

-7.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 A$21.45

$15.00 A$21.31

0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.75

$4.07 A$5.78

-0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$3.14 A$4.46

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 A$4.84

$3.12 A$4.43

9.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 A$6.01

$4.73 A$6.72

-10.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.98 A$4.23

6.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.49 A$3.55

0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.48 A$3.53

-6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.71

$1.60 A$2.27

-24.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.37 A$63.0

$44.65 A$63.4

-0.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 A$19.82

$12.68 A$18.02

10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.04 A$5.74

$5.55 A$7.88

-27.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 A$5.93

$5.18 A$7.37

-19.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.84 A$5.45

-25.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.0 A$135

$139 A$197

-31.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 A$4.87

$4.36 A$6.19

-21.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.26

$1.37 A$1.94

16.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.34 A$57.3

$29.72 A$42.23

35.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.86

$1.49 A$2.11

-12.08%

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

$28.4K A$40.4K

$29.1K A$41.3K

-2.31%

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

$26.0K A$36.9K

$25.7K A$36.5K

1.15%

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

$181 A$258

$236 A$335

-23.05%

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

$27.08 A$38.48

$28.01 A$39.80

-3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 A$79.8

$57.2 A$81.3

-1.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 A$90.3

$48.39 A$68.8

31.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.23 A$23.06

$21.46 A$30.50

-24.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.82 A$22.48

$17.67 A$25.10

-10.47%

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

$2,311 A$3,283

$2,461 A$3,497

-6.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$28.9K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-31.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 A$109

$81.2 A$115

-5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 A$80.3

$49.28 A$70.0

14.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$155

$120 A$170

-8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$184

$131 A$186

-1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 A$1,902

$1,703 A$2,419

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,403 A$1,993

$1,409 A$2,002

-0.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,269

$3,496 A$4,967

-34.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 A$2,568

$2,527 A$3,590

-28.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,555 A$7,893

$7,978 A$11.3K

-30.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,323 A$6,142

$6,900 A$9,805

-37.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Double Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Double Bay

$1.4K 51.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 0.4% $6

Groceries & Markets

Double Bay

$371 13.7%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 4.3% $16

Eating Out

Double Bay

$297 10.9%

Melbourne

$312 11% 5.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Double Bay

$265 9.7%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 21.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Double Bay

$167 6.2%

Melbourne

$171 6% 2.5% $4.1

Getting Around

Double Bay

$118 4.3%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 40.3% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Double Bay

$95 3.5%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 12.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,338 in Double Bay 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 $89 in Double Bay versus $84 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $371 in Double Bay vs $386 in Melbourne – so Double Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Double Bay

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

Same time as Double Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,651

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Double Bay Melbourne 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Double Bay
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

Double Bay vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,073 per month in Double Bay 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 Double Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,338 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Double Bay and $84 in Melbourne. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,715 in Double Bay and $2,849 in Melbourne. That makes Double Bay about 5% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,715 in Double Bay and $2,849 in Melbourne. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Double Bay – 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.