Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Double Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Double Bay: $2,715 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Double Bay
Learn more

Double Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Double Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Double Bay

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,715 in Double Bay, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Double Bay $2,715

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,760 in Double Bay, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Double Bay $3,760

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,804 in Double Bay, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Double Bay $4,804

Melbourne costs about 5% more than Double Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Double Bay sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Double Bay by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.62 A$24.96

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$119

$88.7 A$126

-4.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.24

$10.49 A$14.86

16.02%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.77

$4.06 A$5.75

0.25%

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

$3.18 A$4.50

$2.77 A$3.93

14.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.23 A$3.16

12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.56

$8.23 A$11.67

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.69

$7.24 A$10.26

13.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.13

$1.51 A$2.14

-0.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.21

$2.82 A$4.00

5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.80

$2.41 A$3.42

11.20%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.73

$5.22 A$7.40

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.18

$11.96 A$16.94

-10.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.24

$9.33 A$13.21

7.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.25

$15.10 A$21.39

-0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.76

$4.05 A$5.73

0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.44

$3.22 A$4.56

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.42

$3.41 A$4.83

-8.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.70

$4.23 A$6.00

11.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.22

$3.18 A$4.50

-6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.53

$2.50 A$3.54

-0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.32 A$3.29

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.21 A$1.71

32.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.3

$44.37 A$62.9

0.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$17.96

$13.95 A$19.76

-9.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.86

$4.04 A$5.72

37.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.35

$4.17 A$5.91

24.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.44

$2.85 A$4.04

34.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$196

$95.0 A$135

45.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.17

$3.43 A$4.86

27.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.59 A$2.25

-13.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.11

$40.34 A$57.2

-26.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.10

$1.31 A$1.86

13.74%

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

$29.1K A$41.2K

$28.4K A$40.3K

2.36%

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

$25.7K A$36.4K

$26.0K A$36.8K

-1.14%

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

$236 A$334

$181 A$257

29.96%

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

$28.01 A$39.68

$27.08 A$38.36

3.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.1

$56.2 A$79.6

1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.6

$63.6 A$90.1

-23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.41

$16.23 A$22.99

32.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.03

$15.82 A$22.42

11.69%

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

$2,461 A$3,486

$2,311 A$3,273

6.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.1K

$20.3K A$28.8K

46.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$77.0 A$109

5.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$69.8

$56.5 A$80.0

-12.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$169

$109 A$155

9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$129 A$183

1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,412

$1,338 A$1,896

27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$1,996

$1,403 A$1,987

0.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,952

$2,300 A$3,259

51.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,579

$1,807 A$2,560

39.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$5,555 A$7,869

43.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,775

$4,323 A$6,124

59.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,030

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.92

-0.34%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Double Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Double Bay

$1.4K 51.7% 0.4% $6

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Double Bay

$371 13.7% 4.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Double Bay

$265 9.7% 17.6% $56

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Double Bay

$297 10.9% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Double Bay

$167 6.2% 2.4% $4.1

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Double Bay

$118 4.3% 28.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Double Bay

$95 3.5% 13.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,338 in Double Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne versus $89 in Double Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Melbourne vs $371 in Double Bay – so Double Bay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Double Bay

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

4,651

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Double Bay 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Double Bay

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 Double Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $4,073 in Double Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Double Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,338 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne and $89 in Double Bay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,715 in Double Bay. That makes Double Bay about 5% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,715 in Double Bay. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Double Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.