Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Broome, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Broome, WA: $2,674 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Melbourne outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Broome, WA
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Broome, WA Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Broome, WA

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,674

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Broome, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,823 in Melbourne versus $2,674 in Broome, WA.

Melbourne $2,823
Broome, WA $2,674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Melbourne versus $4,424 in Broome, WA.

Melbourne $4,253
Broome, WA $4,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,683 in Melbourne versus $6,173 in Broome, WA.

Melbourne $5,683
Broome, WA $6,173

Living in Melbourne is roughly 6% more expensive than in Broome, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Broome, WA 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.82

$21.42 A$30.66

-19.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 A$118

$83.8 A$120

-1.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.63 A$18.08

$21.41 A$30.65

-41.01%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$6.04

$5.34 A$7.65

-20.97%

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

$3.12 A$4.46

$3.91 A$5.59

-20.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.18 A$3.12

13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.69 A$13.87

$8.34 A$11.94

16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.30 A$11.88

$7.21 A$10.33

15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$2.82 A$4.04

-46.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 A$4.40

$2.68 A$3.84

14.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.78

$2.24 A$3.21

17.86%

Eggs

$5.58 A$7.98

$4.84 A$6.93

15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 A$14.01

$9.11 A$13.05

7.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.63

$9.70 A$13.88

-1.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.18 A$21.73

$14.95 A$21.40

1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.04

$4.44 A$6.36

-4.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.48

$3.27 A$4.67

-4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.64

$4.26 A$6.10

-23.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.74

$5.56 A$7.96

-15.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.48

$3.46 A$4.95

-9.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.52

$3.22 A$4.61

-23.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.44

$3.62 A$5.18

-33.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.59 A$2.28

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.76 A$61.2

$31.77 A$45.48

34.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.90 A$18.47

$17.81 A$25.50

-27.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.91

$4.64 A$6.64

19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$5.16 A$7.39

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 A$5.43

$2.83 A$4.05

33.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$202

$84.6 A$121

66.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 A$5.37

$3.52 A$5.04

6.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.63 A$2.33

-11.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.93 A$41.42

$69.3 A$99.3

-58.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.66 A$2.37

-12.65%

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

$29.6K A$42.3K

$28.5K A$40.8K

3.72%

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

$26.3K A$37.6K

$22.9K A$32.8K

14.60%

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

$229 A$328

$205 A$293

11.76%

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

$26.76 A$38.31

$27.98 A$40.06

-4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$82.4

$48.54 A$69.5

18.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.77 A$71.3

$55.0 A$78.8

-9.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.45 A$30.70

$16.09 A$23.03

33.31%

Cinema Ticket

$17.43 A$24.96

$17.24 A$24.68

1.10%

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

$2,435 A$3,485

$1,067 A$1,527

128.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K A$48.1K

$20.4K A$29.2K

64.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.4 A$115

$107 A$153

-24.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 A$73.7

$70.9 A$101

-27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$157 A$224

-22.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$191

$125 A$179

6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,748 A$2,503

$1,484 A$2,125

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 A$1,984

$1,199 A$1,716

15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,468 A$4,964

$2,979 A$4,265

16.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,607

$2,885 A$4,130

-12.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,274 A$11.8K

$5,948 A$8,515

39.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,066 A$10.1K

$5,059 A$7,243

39.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,206 A$6,021

$3,918 A$5,609

7.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.97

5.9

1.19%

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

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Last update for Broome, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1%

Broome, WA

$1.2K 44.8% 13.5% $187

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$383 13.6%

Broome, WA

$410 15.3% 7.1% $27

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Broome, WA

$380 14.2% 20.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$313 11.1%

Broome, WA

$281 10.5% 10.2% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$174 6.2%

Broome, WA

$207 7.7% 18.8% $33

Getting Around

Melbourne

$167 5.9%

Broome, WA

$108 4% 35.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$85 3%

Broome, WA

$90 3.4% 5.8% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,748 in Melbourne and $1,484 in Broome, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Melbourne vs $84 in Broome, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $410 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Broome, WA

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

07:50 7:50 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

14,660

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Broome, WA 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Broome, WA

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 Broome, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,823 in Melbourne and $2,674 in Broome, WA, so Broome, WA is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,748 in Melbourne versus $1,484 in Broome, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,823 per month in Melbourne versus $2,674 in Broome, WA – Broome, WA is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Broome, WA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Broome, WA wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.