Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubbo and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubbo: $2,561 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Dubbo
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Dubbo Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Dubbo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,561

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Dubbo vs $2,823 in Melbourne, rent included.

Dubbo $2,561
Melbourne $2,823

A couple spends around $3,660 per month in Dubbo vs $4,253 in Melbourne, rent included.

Dubbo $3,660
Melbourne $4,253

A family of three spends $4,760 per month in Dubbo vs $5,683 in Melbourne, rent included.

Dubbo $4,760
Melbourne $5,683

Dubbo is about 9% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dubbo and Melbourne sit above the global median – Dubbo by 89%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 A$25.12

$17.34 A$24.82

1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

$82.7 A$118

3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.93

$12.63 A$18.08

-17.42%

Cappuccino

$4.06 A$5.81

$4.22 A$6.04

-3.79%

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

$2.87 A$4.11

$3.12 A$4.46

-8.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.16

$2.48 A$3.55

-10.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.65 A$10.96

$9.69 A$13.87

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.71 A$11.03

$8.30 A$11.88

-7.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.50 A$2.15

4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.96

$3.08 A$4.40

-10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.15

$2.64 A$3.78

-16.67%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.91

$5.58 A$7.98

-13.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 A$13.19

$9.78 A$14.01

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.04

$9.52 A$13.63

-4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.65 A$20.97

$15.18 A$21.73

-3.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$4.22 A$6.04

-18.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 A$5.40

$3.13 A$4.48

20.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$3.24 A$4.64

-11.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 A$8.39

$4.71 A$6.74

24.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.58

$3.13 A$4.48

-20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.47

$2.46 A$3.52

-1.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.33

$2.40 A$3.44

-2.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.47 A$2.11

15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.07 A$45.91

$42.76 A$61.2

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 A$19.75

$12.90 A$18.47

6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 A$6.70

$5.53 A$7.91

-15.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 A$6.96

$5.16 A$7.38

-5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.00

$3.79 A$5.43

-26.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 A$122

$141 A$202

-39.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 A$5.16

$3.75 A$5.37

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.32

$1.44 A$2.07

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 A$57.7

$28.93 A$41.42

39.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 A$1.75

$1.45 A$2.07

-15.86%

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

$29.1K A$41.7K

$29.6K A$42.3K

-1.48%

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

$26.1K A$37.3K

$26.3K A$37.6K

-0.74%

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

$206 A$295

$229 A$328

-9.92%

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

$27.38 A$39.19

$26.76 A$38.31

2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 A$118

$57.5 A$82.4

43.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 A$81.9

$49.77 A$71.3

14.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 A$25.90

$21.45 A$30.70

-15.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 A$20.14

$17.43 A$24.96

-19.28%

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

$2,166 A$3,101

$2,435 A$3,485

-11.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.9K

$33.6K A$48.1K

-39.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$80.4 A$115

-2.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 A$77.7

$51.5 A$73.7

5.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$154

$121 A$174

-11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$134 A$191

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 A$1,379

$1,748 A$2,503

-44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,749

$1,386 A$1,984

-11.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 A$2,274

$3,468 A$4,964

-54.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 A$2,553

$2,520 A$3,607

-29.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,718 A$2,459

$8,274 A$11.8K

-79.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,949 A$7,085

$7,066 A$10.1K

-29.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,176 A$3,115

$4,206 A$6,021

-48.27%

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 Dubbo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubbo

$1.2K 47.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 13.5% $164

Groceries & Markets

Dubbo

$372 14.5%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubbo

$316 12.4%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 1% $3

Eating Out

Dubbo

$294 11.5%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 6.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Dubbo

$163 6.4%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 6.6% $11

Getting Around

Dubbo

$108 4.2%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 55.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Dubbo

$85 3.3%

Melbourne

$85 3% 0.8% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Dubbo versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 93% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Dubbo versus $83 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $372 in Dubbo vs $383 in Melbourne – so Dubbo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Dubbo

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

Same time as Dubbo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,808

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dubbo Melbourne 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dubbo
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

Dubbo vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,561 in Dubbo, $2,823 in Melbourne – Dubbo comes out roughly 9% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Dubbo and $4,234 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubbo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $963 there versus $1,748 in Melbourne.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Dubbo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Dubbo – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Dubbo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.