Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bathurst, Australia

Name: Bathurst
Address: Bathurst, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathurst: $2,475 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Bathurst

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bathurst

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Bathurst actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,475 in Bathurst, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Bathurst $2,475

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,595 in Bathurst, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Bathurst $3,595

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,716 in Bathurst, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Bathurst $4,716

Melbourne costs about 15% more than Bathurst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Bathurst sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Bathurst by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$15.54 A$22.19

12.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$84.4 A$121

-0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.38

$10.65 A$15.21

14.27%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.82

$3.69 A$5.27

10.30%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.79 A$3.98

13.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.57

$2.21 A$3.15

13.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.67

$4.86 A$6.94

96.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.78

$7.78 A$11.11

6.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.95 A$2.78

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$2.66 A$3.80

11.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

$2.30 A$3.28

16.52%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.79

$4.84 A$6.91

12.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.30

$9.40 A$13.43

13.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.35

$9.05 A$12.92

11.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.42

$14.94 A$21.33

0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$3.91 A$5.58

4.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.48

$3.01 A$4.29

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.45

$3.37 A$4.81

-7.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.76

$4.63 A$6.61

2.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$2.82 A$4.03

5.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.56

$2.47 A$3.53

0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.42 A$3.45

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$1.55 A$2.21

3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.8

$41.20 A$58.8

8.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.11

$13.80 A$19.71

-8.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.92

$4.68 A$6.68

18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.40

$5.09 A$7.26

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.48

$2.80 A$4.01

37.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$80.4 A$115

72.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.22

$3.48 A$4.97

25.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.62 A$2.32

-15.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.45

$40.49 A$57.8

-26.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.36 A$1.94

9.56%

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

$29.1K A$41.5K

$29.8K A$42.6K

-2.46%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$26.4K A$37.8K

-2.92%

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

$236 A$337

$209 A$298

12.90%

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

$28.01 A$40.01

$42.23 A$60.3

-33.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.7

$62.2 A$88.8

-7.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$69.1

$54.8 A$78.3

-11.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.65

$17.74 A$25.33

20.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.23

$13.71 A$19.58

28.88%

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

$2,461 A$3,515

$2,117 A$3,023

16.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.4K

$20.3K A$29.0K

46.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$77.1 A$110

5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.4

$53.8 A$76.9

-8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

$108 A$154

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$123 A$176

6.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,432

$1,367 A$1,953

24.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,012

$1,183 A$1,690

19.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,992

$2,119 A$3,026

64.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,608

$1,819 A$2,598

38.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.4K

$5,942 A$8,485

34.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,854

$5,012 A$7,157

37.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,079

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Bathurst

$1.2K 47.8% 16% $225

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Bathurst

$370 14.9% 4.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Bathurst

$313 12.7% 2.4% $7.8

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Bathurst

$260 10.5% 16.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Bathurst

$163 6.6% 4.9% $8.4

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Bathurst

$103 4.2% 37.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Bathurst

$82 3.3% 1.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,367 in Bathurst. 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 $84 in Melbourne versus $84 in Bathurst. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Melbourne vs $370 in Bathurst – so Bathurst wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Bathurst

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

36,230

💱 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

Melbourne Bathurst 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Bathurst

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

Melbourne vs Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,713 in Bathurst. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bathurst, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,367 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,475 in Bathurst. That makes Bathurst about 13% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,117 in Bathurst. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Bathurst – 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.