Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bendigo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bendigo: $2,008 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Bendigo
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Bendigo Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Bendigo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bendigo

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,008 in Bendigo, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Bendigo $2,008

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $2,978 in Bendigo, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Bendigo $2,978

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $3,948 in Bendigo, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Bendigo $3,948

Melbourne costs about 42% more than Bendigo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Bendigo sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Bendigo by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.37 A$24.60

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$119

$77.1 A$109

9.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.24

$12.40 A$17.57

-1.85%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.77

$4.08 A$5.78

-0.25%

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

$3.18 A$4.50

$3.10 A$4.39

2.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.58 A$3.66

-3.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.56

$9.97 A$14.12

-4.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.69

$8.66 A$12.27

-4.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.13

$1.36 A$1.92

10.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.21

$2.92 A$4.13

1.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.80

$2.57 A$3.64

4.28%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.73

$4.73 A$6.71

15.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.18

$10.70 A$15.15

0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.24

$10.04 A$14.23

0.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.25

$10.55 A$14.95

42.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.76

$3.56 A$5.04

14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.44

$3.05 A$4.31

2.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.42

$3.24 A$4.59

-3.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.70

$4.80 A$6.79

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.22

$2.88 A$4.08

3.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.53

$2.47 A$3.50

0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.46 A$3.49

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.63 A$2.31

-1.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.3

$44.51 A$63.1

0.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$17.96

$10.38 A$14.70

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.86

$5.46 A$7.73

1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.35

$5.36 A$7.59

-3.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.44

$3.45 A$4.88

11.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$196

$56.9 A$80.6

143.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.17

$4.12 A$5.84

5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.41 A$2.00

-2.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.11

$13.84 A$19.61

114.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.10

$1.27 A$1.80

17.32%

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

$29.1K A$41.2K

$27.6K A$39.1K

5.44%

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

$25.7K A$36.4K

$19.7K A$27.9K

30.56%

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

$236 A$334

$142 A$202

65.43%

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

$28.01 A$39.68

$27.59 A$39.08

1.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.1

$56.5 A$80.1

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.41

$19.68 A$27.88

9.04%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.03

$12.70 A$17.99

39.13%

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

$2,461 A$3,486

$2,154 A$3,051

14.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.1K

$29.9K A$42.3K

-0.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$81.5 A$116

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$69.8

$49.98 A$70.8

-1.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$169

$118 A$167

1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$136 A$192

-3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,412

$1,135 A$1,608

50.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$1,996

$825 A$1,169

70.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,952

$1,337 A$1,894

161.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,579

$1,248 A$1,767

102.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$4,400 A$6,232

81.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,775

$3,892 A$5,514

77.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,030

$2,967 A$4,202

43.50%

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 Bendigo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Bendigo

$825 41.1% 41.4% $584

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Bendigo

$361 18% 6.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Bendigo

$227 11.3% 29.4% $94

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Bendigo

$315 15.7% 0.8% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Bendigo

$173 8.6% 1.1% $1.9

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Bendigo

$82 4.1% 50.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Bendigo

$25 * 1.3% 69.7% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,135 in Bendigo. 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 43% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne versus $77 in Bendigo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $361 – making Bendigo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Bendigo

🕒 Local time

14:07 2:07 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

100,649

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Bendigo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 42%, 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 $3,012 in Bendigo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bendigo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,135 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne and $77 in Bendigo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,008 in Bendigo. That makes Bendigo about 30% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bendigo, where all-in costs run around $2,008, than in Melbourne at $2,849. In Bendigo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bendigo – 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 Bendigo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.