Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Byron Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Byron Bay

😐 Solo nomad: Melbourne is 46.1% more expensive than Byron Bay without rent, and 13.8% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Melbourne is 30.4% more expensive than Byron Bay without rent, and 20.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.2 A$29.41
$13.04 A$19.98
47.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.6 A$120
$51.9 A$79.5
51.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 A$15.35
$9.8 A$15.01
2.24%
Cappuccino
$3.67 A$5.62
$3.33 A$5.1
10.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 A$3.89
$1.32 A$2.02
92.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 A$3.49
$2.17 A$3.32
5.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.28 A$11.15
$5.29 A$8.1
37.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.3 A$11.18
$7.81 A$11.97
-6.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 A$2.2
$1.61 A$2.47
-10.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 A$4.02
$2.29 A$3.52
14.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 A$3.48
$1.8 A$2.76
26.11%
Eggs
$4.86 A$7.45
$4.39 A$6.72
10.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.74 A$13.39
$8.17 A$12.51
6.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 A$14.07
$8.25 A$12.65
11.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 A$22.9
$13.75 A$21.06
8.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 A$5.1
$3.37 A$5.16
-1.19%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 A$4.35
$2.88 A$4.41
-1.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3 A$4.6
$2.71 A$4.16
10.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 A$6.05
$4.16 A$6.38
-5.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 A$4.09
$2.52 A$3.86
5.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.58
$2.25 A$3.45
4.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 A$3.3
$2.13 A$3.26
0.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 A$2.5
$1.3 A$1.99
26.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.11 A$49.19
$30.73 A$47.08
4.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.13 A$20.11
$12.96 A$19.85
1.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 A$6.96
$4.73 A$7.25
-4.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.05 A$7.74
$4.04 A$6.18
25.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.67 A$5.62
$2.55 A$3.91
43.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$118 A$180
$66.1 A$101
78.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 A$5.6
$2.27 A$3.47
60.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 A$2.05
$1.52 A$2.33
-11.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.26 A$41.77
$33.68 A$51.6
-19.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.82
$1.22 A$1.88
-2.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K A$43.9K
$29.2K A$44.7K
-1.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K A$36K
$22K A$33.7K
6.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 A$230
$147 A$226
2.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.8 A$31.86
$13.08 A$20.05
59.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51 A$78.2
$39.59 A$60.7
28.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.23 A$73.9
$48.65 A$74.5
-0.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.91 A$24.38
$15.54 A$23.8
2.38%
Cinema Ticket
$16.53 A$25.32
$12.91 A$19.78
28.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,730 A$2,651
$1,614 A$2,472
7.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.1K A$29.3K
$8,657 A$13.3K
121.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 A$104
$64.2 A$98.4
5.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 A$82.2
$19.48 A$29.84
175.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$165
$64.1 A$98.1
67.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 A$162
$99.7 A$153
6.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,548 A$2,371
$1,243 A$1,904
24.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,228 A$1,881
$1,061 A$1,626
15.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,973 A$4,555
$2,017 A$3,091
47.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 A$2,997
$1,668 A$2,555
17.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,110 A$10.9K
$13K A$19.9K
-45.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,790 A$8,871
$10K A$15.3K
-42.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Byron Bay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,045 A$6,198
$4,639 A$7,107
-12.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
6.24
-0.80%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 28, 2025

Last update for Byron Bay: October 28, 2025

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