Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bowral Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bowral

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Melbourne is 26.1% more expensive than Bowral without rent, and 10.4% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Melbourne is 13.1% more expensive than Bowral without rent, and 9.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.2 A$29.41
$14.49 A$22.19
32.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.6 A$120
$95.1 A$146
-17.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 A$15.35
$8.63 A$13.22
16.11%
Cappuccino
$3.67 A$5.62
$2.56 A$3.91
43.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 A$3.89
$1.94 A$2.97
30.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 A$3.49
$1.31 A$2.01
74.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.28 A$11.15
$6.48 A$9.93
12.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.3 A$11.18
$6.34 A$9.71
15.14%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 A$2.2
$1.34 A$2.05
7.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 A$4.02
$2.38 A$3.64
10.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 A$3.48
$2.09 A$3.2
8.61%
Eggs
$4.86 A$7.45
$3.91 A$5.99
24.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.74 A$13.39
$9.33 A$14.3
-6.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 A$14.07
$7.74 A$11.85
18.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 A$22.9
$14.11 A$21.62
5.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 A$5.1
$3.16 A$4.84
5.38%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 A$4.35
$2.61 A$3.99
8.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$3 A$4.6
$2.63 A$4.03
14.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 A$6.05
$3.71 A$5.69
6.47%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 A$4.09
$2.73 A$4.18
-2.20%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.58
$2.2 A$3.37
6.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 A$3.3
$2.13 A$3.27
0.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 A$2.5
$1.04 A$1.59
57.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.11 A$49.19
$28.83 A$44.16
11.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.13 A$20.11
$9.7 A$14.86
35.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 A$6.96
$4.11 A$6.3
10.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.05 A$7.74
$3.21 A$4.92
57.32%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.67 A$5.62
$2.52 A$3.87
45.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$118 A$180
$65.7 A$101
79.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 A$5.6
$2.29 A$3.51
59.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 A$2.05
$1.72 A$2.64
-22.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.26 A$41.77
$37.54 A$57.5
-27.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.82
$1.16 A$1.78
2.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K A$43.9K
$29.3K A$44.8K
-2.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K A$36K
$22K A$33.7K
6.68%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 A$230
$189 A$289
-20.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.8 A$31.86
$29.4 A$45.04
-29.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51 A$78.2
$57.8 A$88.5
-11.68%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.23 A$73.9
$48.43 A$74.2
-0.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.91 A$24.38
$15.68 A$24.02
1.47%
Cinema Ticket
$16.53 A$25.32
$12.54 A$19.21
31.82%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,730 A$2,651
$902 A$1,381
91.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.1K A$29.3K
$12K A$18.4K
59.21%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 A$104
$75.3 A$115
-9.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 A$82.2
$44.74 A$68.6
19.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$165
$91.1 A$140
18.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 A$162
$111 A$170
-4.29%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,548 A$2,371
$1,284 A$1,968
20.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,228 A$1,881
$1,073 A$1,644
14.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,973 A$4,555
$2,047 A$3,136
45.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 A$2,997
$1,699 A$2,604
15.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,110 A$10.9K
$6,038 A$9,250
17.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,790 A$8,871
$5,309 A$8,133
9.08%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Bowral
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,045 A$6,198
$3,089 A$4,733
30.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
6.75
-8.30%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: October 28, 2025

Last update for Bowral: October 28, 2025

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