Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bega NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Bega NSW: $2,563 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Bega NSW
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Bega NSW Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Bega NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bega NSW

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 Bega NSW actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,563 in Bega NSW, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Bega NSW $2,563

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,832 in Bega NSW, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Bega NSW $3,832

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $5,101 in Bega NSW, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Bega NSW $5,101

Melbourne costs about 11% more than Bega NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Bega NSW sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Bega NSW by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$19.71 A$28.14

-11.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$88.2 A$126

-4.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.38

$10.87 A$15.52

11.96%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.82

$4.42 A$6.32

-7.92%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.96 A$4.22

7.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.57

$1.98 A$2.82

26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.67

$8.51 A$12.15

12.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.78

$6.95 A$9.93

18.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.40 A$1.99

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

$3.07 A$4.38

-3.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

$2.38 A$3.40

12.61%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.79

$5.38 A$7.68

1.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.30

$8.40 A$12.00

27.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.35

$8.01 A$11.44

25.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.42

$16.92 A$24.17

-11.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$3.51 A$5.01

15.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.48

$3.19 A$4.56

-1.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.45

$3.18 A$4.54

-1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.76

$4.92 A$7.03

-3.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$2.87 A$4.10

3.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.56

$2.12 A$3.03

17.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.33 A$3.33

6.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$1.49 A$2.13

7.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.8

$47.68 A$68.1

-6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.11

$12.07 A$17.24

5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.92

$4.35 A$6.21

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.40

$5.68 A$8.11

-8.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.48

$3.02 A$4.32

27.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$83.9 A$120

65.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.22

$3.58 A$5.11

21.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.51 A$2.16

-9.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.45

$42.04 A$60.0

-29.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.34 A$1.92

11.19%

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

$29.1K A$41.5K

$26.4K A$37.8K

10.04%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$25.8K A$36.9K

-0.52%

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

$236 A$337

$217 A$309

8.75%

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

$28.01 A$40.01

$24.85 A$35.49

12.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.7

$54.7 A$78.1

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$69.1

$53.0 A$75.7

-8.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.65

$15.80 A$22.56

35.82%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.23

$16.11 A$23.01

9.68%

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

$2,461 A$3,515

$2,121 A$3,029

16.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.4K

$20.0K A$28.6K

48.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$87.7 A$125

-7.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.4

$54.9 A$78.4

-10.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

$116 A$165

3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$118 A$169

10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,432

$1,255 A$1,792

35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,012

$1,222 A$1,746

15.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,992

$2,541 A$3,629

37.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,608

$2,084 A$2,977

21.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.4K

$6,268 A$8,951

27.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,854

$4,704 A$6,718

46.69%

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 Bega NSW: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Bega NSW

$1.2K 47.7% 13.2% $186

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Bega NSW

$363 14.2% 6.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Bega NSW

$296 11.6% 7.7% $25

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Bega NSW

$320 12.5% 2.3% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Bega NSW

$169 6.6% 1.2% $2

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Bega NSW

$107 4.2% 35.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Bega NSW

$85 3.3% 1.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,255 in Bega NSW. 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 $88 in Bega NSW. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Melbourne vs $363 in Bega NSW – so Bega NSW wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Bega NSW

🕒 Local time

21:37 9:37 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

4,683

💱 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

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Melbourne Bega NSW 450 km

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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 Bega NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 11%, 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 $3,844 in Bega NSW. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bega NSW, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,255 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,121 in Bega NSW. 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 the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,563 in Bega NSW. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bega NSW – 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.