Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hervey Bay and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Hervey Bay: $2,403 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Hervey Bay
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Hervey Bay Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,403

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,403 per month in Hervey Bay vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hervey Bay $2,403
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $3,452 per month in Hervey Bay vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hervey Bay $3,452
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $4,500 per month in Hervey Bay vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hervey Bay $4,500
Melbourne $5,699

Hervey Bay is about 16% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hervey Bay and Melbourne sit above the global median – Hervey Bay by 77%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 A$24.86

$17.50 A$24.88

-0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 A$106

$84.3 A$120

-11.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 A$15.01

$12.17 A$17.30

-13.23%

Cappuccino

$3.85 A$5.47

$4.07 A$5.79

-5.41%

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

$2.90 A$4.12

$3.18 A$4.52

-8.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.50 A$3.55

-9.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 A$8.52

$9.57 A$13.61

-37.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 A$11.70

$8.25 A$11.73

-0.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.31

$1.50 A$2.14

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 A$3.86

$2.97 A$4.22

-8.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.15

$2.68 A$3.82

-17.54%

Eggs

$4.76 A$6.77

$5.45 A$7.76

-12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 A$12.98

$10.71 A$15.23

-14.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.30

$10.05 A$14.29

-6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 A$20.49

$15.00 A$21.33

-3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 A$6.12

$4.07 A$5.79

5.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.47

$3.14 A$4.46

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.30

$3.12 A$4.43

-3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 A$7.05

$4.73 A$6.73

4.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.86

$2.98 A$4.24

-8.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.45

$2.49 A$3.55

-2.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.26

$2.48 A$3.53

-7.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.60 A$2.27

-25.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.10 A$54.2

$44.65 A$63.5

-14.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 A$17.73

$12.68 A$18.03

-1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$5.55 A$7.89

-6.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.29

$5.18 A$7.37

-1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 A$4.18

$3.84 A$5.46

-23.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.7 A$115

$139 A$197

-41.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 A$4.40

$4.36 A$6.20

-28.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 A$2.58

$1.37 A$1.94

32.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.81 A$59.5

$29.72 A$42.26

40.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.49 A$2.11

-2.68%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$29.1K A$41.4K

1.33%

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

$25.8K A$36.7K

$25.7K A$36.5K

0.45%

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

$163 A$231

$236 A$335

-30.99%

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

$25.76 A$36.62

$28.01 A$39.83

-8.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.8

$57.2 A$81.4

6.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.51 A$70.4

$48.39 A$68.8

2.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 A$22.74

$21.46 A$30.52

-25.49%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 A$19.57

$17.67 A$25.12

-22.13%

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

$2,043 A$2,906

$2,461 A$3,499

-16.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K A$18.2K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-57.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 A$90.0

$81.2 A$115

-22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 A$63.0

$49.28 A$70.1

-10.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 A$90.0

$120 A$170

-47.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 A$90.7

$131 A$186

-51.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 A$1,991

$1,703 A$2,421

-17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 A$1,733

$1,409 A$2,003

-13.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,268 A$3,225

$3,496 A$4,971

-35.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 A$2,607

$2,527 A$3,593

-27.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,566 A$7,915

$7,978 A$11.3K

-30.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,622 A$6,573

$6,900 A$9,812

-33.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,751 A$3,912

$4,257 A$6,053

-35.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Hervey 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

Hervey Bay

$1.2K 50.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 15.6% $190

Groceries & Markets

Hervey Bay

$363 15.1%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 6.4% $23

Eating Out

Hervey Bay

$285 11.9%

Melbourne

$312 11% 9.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hervey Bay

$249 10.4%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 28.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Hervey Bay

$106 4.4%

Melbourne

$171 6% 62.3% $66

Getting Around

Hervey Bay

$105 4.4%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 57.9% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Hervey Bay

$77 3.2%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 8.7% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,400 in Hervey 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.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Hervey Bay versus $84 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $386 – making Hervey Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

03:06 3:06 AM

1 h ahead of Hervey Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,722

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hervey Bay Melbourne 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hervey 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

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

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,605 per month in Hervey 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 Hervey Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Kindergarten costs $2,043 per month in Hervey Bay 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 it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Families tend to lean toward Hervey Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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