Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Hawkesbury City Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Hawkesbury City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,465 in Melbourne versus $2,148 in Hawkesbury City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Melbourne versus $3,199 in Hawkesbury City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,806 in Melbourne versus $4,251 in Hawkesbury City.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 15% more expensive than Hawkesbury City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 84% above, Hawkesbury City 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 A$27.07

$11.08 A$15.52

74.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 A$110

$87.1 A$122

-10.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 A$14.04

$9.42 A$13.19

6.48%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.07

$3.15 A$4.42

14.92%

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

$2.61 A$3.66

$2.42 A$3.39

7.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.23

$2.00 A$2.79

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 A$10.40

$6.48 A$9.07

14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.07

$7.45 A$10.43

-3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.04

$1.13 A$1.58

29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.72

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.25

$1.76 A$2.46

31.82%

Eggs

$4.68 A$6.56

$3.22 A$4.51

45.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 A$12.87

$10.21 A$14.29

-9.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 A$13.10

$8.69 A$12.16

7.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 A$20.56

$14.92 A$20.89

-1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.49

$2.22 A$3.10

44.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.58 A$3.61

7.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.14

$2.57 A$3.59

15.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.73

$4.67 A$6.54

-12.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.78

$2.31 A$3.24

16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.29

$1.94 A$2.71

21.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.10

$2.46 A$3.45

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.32

$0.54 A$0.76

207.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.79 A$45.91

$31.33 A$43.86

4.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 A$20.42

$10.60 A$14.84

37.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.61

$5.10 A$7.15

-7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 A$7.13

$5.82 A$8.15

-12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 A$5.05

$2.57 A$3.60

40.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 A$165

$64.1 A$89.8

83.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.15

$3.92 A$5.48

-6.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.95

$1.80 A$2.52

-22.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 A$38.61

$40.43 A$56.6

-31.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.19 A$1.67

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$25.9K A$36.3K

12.96%

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

$23.7K A$33.2K

$19.4K A$27.1K

22.37%

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

$152 A$212

$163 A$228

-6.72%

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

$21.15 A$29.62

$29.10 A$40.74

-27.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.94 A$69.9

$52.6 A$73.6

-4.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.19 A$68.9

$49.47 A$69.3

-0.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 A$22.62

$15.94 A$22.31

1.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.38

$11.26 A$15.76

42.01%

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

$1,756 A$2,458

$1,750 A$2,450

0.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.9K

$13.5K A$18.9K

42.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 A$93.6

$70.0 A$98.1

-4.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$75.5

$56.7 A$79.4

-4.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$78.8 A$110

34.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$144

$113 A$159

-9.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 A$2,196

$1,272 A$1,781

23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 A$1,656

$1,047 A$1,466

12.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,038 A$4,254

$1,994 A$2,791

52.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,831

$1,660 A$2,324

21.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,557 A$10.6K

$5,347 A$7,486

41.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,138

$5,196 A$7,274

25.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,490 A$6,287

$4,537 A$6,352

-1.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.29

-1.59%

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

Last update for Melbourne: April 25, 2026

Last update for Hawkesbury City: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,568 in Melbourne and $1,272 in Hawkesbury City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hawkesbury City pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Melbourne vs $87.0 in Hawkesbury City. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $322, with Hawkesbury City 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 Hawkesbury City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hawkesbury City wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hawkesbury City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hawkesbury City earns 1% less. 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: $1,568 in Melbourne versus $1,272 in Hawkesbury City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hawkesbury City – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $78.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,148 in Hawkesbury City versus $2,465 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hawkesbury City but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Hawkesbury City 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 Hawkesbury City 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 Hawkesbury City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.