Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Busselton Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Busselton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,190 in Busselton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,582 in Melbourne versus $3,179 in Busselton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,747 in Melbourne versus $4,169 in Busselton.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 10% more expensive than Busselton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Busselton 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.24 A$27.22

$16.12 A$22.81

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 A$112

$78.5 A$111

0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 A$13.97

$9.59 A$13.57

2.92%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.18

$3.65 A$5.16

0.27%

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

$2.57 A$3.64

$2.38 A$3.36

7.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.21

$1.91 A$2.71

18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.49 A$10.60

$7.86 A$11.12

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 A$10.37

$6.65 A$9.41

10.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.15

$0.88 A$1.25

72.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 A$3.70

$1.12 A$1.58

133.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.17

$1.01 A$1.43

121.78%

Eggs

$4.69 A$6.64

$3.14 A$4.44

49.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 A$12.96

$8.70 A$12.30

5.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.27

$7.59 A$10.74

23.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.58

$13.62 A$19.27

6.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.48

$3.18 A$4.49

-0.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.09

$2.00 A$2.82

44.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 A$4.16

$2.99 A$4.23

-1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 A$5.66

$4.57 A$6.47

-12.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.95

$2.53 A$3.57

10.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$1.73 A$2.44

34.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.12

$2.00 A$2.83

10.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.34

$1.45 A$2.05

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.10 A$46.82

$14.56 A$20.60

127.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.35 A$20.30

$12.55 A$17.75

14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.57

$3.75 A$5.30

23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.26

$4.27 A$6.04

20.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 A$5.16

$2.54 A$3.60

43.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 A$169

$64.4 A$91.2

84.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$4.99

$4.05 A$5.73

-12.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.92

$2.21 A$3.12

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 A$37.75

$49.31 A$69.8

-45.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.61

$1.12 A$1.58

1.79%

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

$28.8K A$40.8K

$29.0K A$41.0K

-0.49%

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

$23.7K A$33.5K

$24.3K A$34.4K

-2.49%

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

$150 A$212

$158 A$224

-5.17%

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

$20.81 A$29.45

$27.71 A$39.20

-24.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 A$73.1

$48.15 A$68.1

7.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 A$71.0

$47.83 A$67.7

4.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 A$22.77

$15.66 A$22.15

2.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 A$22.58

$16.05 A$22.71

-0.56%

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

$1,716 A$2,427

$1,758 A$2,487

-2.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K A$27.8K

$11.9K A$16.9K

65.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$94.7

$64.7 A$91.6

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 A$76.7

$48.01 A$67.9

12.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$151

$102 A$144

4.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$148

$104 A$147

1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 A$2,163

$1,282 A$1,814

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 A$1,697

$1,052 A$1,488

14.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,004 A$4,250

$2,037 A$2,882

47.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 A$2,817

$1,648 A$2,332

20.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,160 A$10.1K

$6,237 A$8,824

14.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,075 A$8,595

$5,243 A$7,418

15.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,524 A$6,401

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.42

-3.58%

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

Last update for Melbourne: June 15, 2026

Last update for Busselton: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,529 in Melbourne and $1,282 in Busselton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $79.0 in Busselton. Groceries flip the comparison at $356 vs $293, with Busselton cheaper for home cooking.

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 Busselton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Busselton differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,190 including rent). Busselton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,624 in Melbourne and $3,284 in Busselton to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,529 in Melbourne versus $1,282 in Busselton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,716 in Melbourne versus $1,758 in Busselton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,190 in Busselton versus $2,416 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Busselton but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Busselton 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 Busselton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Busselton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.