Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bunbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Bunbury: $2,192 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Bunbury
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Bunbury Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Bunbury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bunbury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,192 in Bunbury.

Melbourne $2,849
Bunbury $2,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $3,364 in Bunbury.

Melbourne $4,274
Bunbury $3,364

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $4,536 in Bunbury.

Melbourne $5,699
Bunbury $4,536

Living in Melbourne is roughly 30% more expensive than in Bunbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Bunbury 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$20.96 A$29.78

-16.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$82.6 A$117

2.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$11.17 A$15.88

8.95%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$4.15 A$5.89

-1.93%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.77 A$3.94

14.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.20 A$3.12

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$8.49 A$12.07

12.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$8.53 A$12.12

-3.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.09 A$1.54

37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$1.11 A$1.58

167.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$1.96 A$2.78

36.73%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$5.30 A$7.53

2.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$9.03 A$12.84

18.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$8.35 A$11.87

20.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$8.27 A$11.76

81.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$3.72 A$5.29

9.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.15 A$4.48

-0.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.86 A$4.06

9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$4.59 A$6.52

3.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$2.79 A$3.97

6.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$1.98 A$2.81

25.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$1.78 A$2.54

39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$0.79 A$1.12

102.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$26.21 A$37.24

70.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$6.96 A$9.89

82.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$4.39 A$6.23

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$3.41 A$4.85

51.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$2.84 A$4.04

35.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$55.9 A$79.4

148.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$3.55 A$5.05

22.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.42 A$2.01

-3.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$35.44 A$50.4

-16.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.22 A$1.74

22.13%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$20.7K A$29.5K

40.26%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$18.7K A$26.6K

37.16%

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

$236 A$335

$157 A$224

49.79%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$32.85 A$46.67

-14.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$62.9 A$89.4

-9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$55.6 A$79.0

-12.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

$10.48 A$14.88

104.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$13.92 A$19.78

26.94%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$2,269 A$3,224

8.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$22.9K A$32.6K

29.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$76.9 A$109

5.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$63.1 A$89.6

-21.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$122 A$173

-1.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$96.0 A$136

36.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

$992 A$1,410

71.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$998 A$1,418

41.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$1,850 A$2,629

88.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$1,812 A$2,574

39.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$4,785 A$6,799

66.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

$4,027 A$5,722

71.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$4,606 A$6,545

-7.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.96

-1.01%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bunbury: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Bunbury

$998 45.5% 29.2% $411

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Bunbury

$288 13.2% 25.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Bunbury

$253 11.6% 21.1% $68

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Bunbury

$330 15.1% 5.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Bunbury

$161 7.3% 6.1% $11

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Bunbury

$78 3.6% 52.9% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Bunbury

$83 3.8% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $992 in Bunbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bunbury pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $83 in Bunbury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $288 per month, with Bunbury cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Bunbury

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

04:28 4:28 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

75,196

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Bunbury 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Bunbury

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 Bunbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bunbury is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Melbourne. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $992 in Bunbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,849 per month in Melbourne versus $2,192 in Bunbury – Bunbury is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,192 in Bunbury versus $2,849 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bunbury but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Bunbury the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Bunbury are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.