Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Dubbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Dubbo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,465 per month in Melbourne vs $2,295 in Dubbo, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,636 per month in Melbourne vs $3,354 in Dubbo, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,806 per month in Melbourne vs $4,412 in Dubbo, rent included.

Melbourne costs about 7% more than Dubbo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Melbourne and Dubbo sit above the global median – Melbourne by 84%, Dubbo by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 A$26.88

$16.55 A$23.01

16.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 A$109

$76.7 A$107

2.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 A$13.94

$9.33 A$12.96

7.50%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.04

$3.35 A$4.66

8.06%

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

$2.61 A$3.63

$3.18 A$4.43

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.21

$2.62 A$3.64

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 A$10.32

$6.67 A$9.27

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.00

$7.14 A$9.93

0.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.03

$2.24 A$3.11

-34.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.70

$2.81 A$3.90

-5.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.22

$2.15 A$2.99

7.91%

Eggs

$4.68 A$6.51

$3.29 A$4.57

42.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 A$12.78

$8.61 A$11.97

6.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 A$13.01

$11.45 A$15.91

-18.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 A$20.42

$13.71 A$19.05

7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.46

$3.07 A$4.27

4.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 A$3.87

$2.94 A$4.08

-5.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.11

$2.44 A$3.39

21.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.69

$5.07 A$7.04

-19.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.76

$2.29 A$3.18

17.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.26

$1.85 A$2.58

27.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.16 A$3.00

2.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.30

$1.94 A$2.70

-14.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.79 A$45.58

$26.29 A$36.55

24.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 A$20.28

$14.21 A$19.75

2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.56

$4.46 A$6.20

5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 A$7.08

$4.66 A$6.48

9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 A$5.02

$2.67 A$3.71

35.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 A$163

$64.4 A$89.5

82.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.11

$2.99 A$4.15

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.94

$1.61 A$2.23

-13.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 A$38.34

$33.07 A$45.97

-16.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.65

$1.22 A$1.70

-2.46%

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

$29.3K A$40.7K

$29.4K A$40.9K

-0.54%

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

$23.7K A$32.9K

$22.5K A$31.3K

5.25%

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

$152 A$211

$187 A$260

-18.81%

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

$21.15 A$29.40

$27.20 A$37.81

-22.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.94 A$69.4

$76.9 A$107

-35.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.19 A$68.4

$49.00 A$68.1

0.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 A$22.45

$15.76 A$21.91

2.47%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.22

$13.07 A$18.17

22.34%

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

$1,756 A$2,441

$1,595 A$2,217

10.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$12.1K A$16.8K

59.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 A$92.9

$68.4 A$95.0

-2.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$75.0

$50.1 A$69.7

7.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$147

$98.0 A$136

8.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$143

$105 A$147

-2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 A$2,180

$898 A$1,249

74.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 A$1,644

$1,078 A$1,499

9.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,038 A$4,223

$1,525 A$2,120

99.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,811

$1,684 A$2,341

20.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,557 A$10.5K

$1,789 A$2,487

322.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,073

$5,033 A$6,996

29.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,490 A$6,242

$1,909 A$2,654

135.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.34

-2.37%

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

Last update for Melbourne: April 25, 2026

Last update for Dubbo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,568 in Melbourne versus $898 in Dubbo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 135% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Melbourne versus $77.0 in Dubbo. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Melbourne vs $367 in Dubbo – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Dubbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,465 in Melbourne, $2,295 in Dubbo – roughly 7% apart. Melbourne costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,698 per month in Melbourne and $3,443 in Dubbo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubbo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,756 per month in Melbourne and $1,595 in Dubbo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Melbourne – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubbo, where all-in costs run around $2,295, than in Melbourne at $2,465. In Dubbo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dubbo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.