Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Hervey Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Hervey Bay: $2,403 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Hervey Bay
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Hervey Bay Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Hervey 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 Hervey Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,403 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Hervey Bay $2,403

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,452 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Hervey Bay $3,452

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,500 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Hervey Bay $4,500

Melbourne costs about 19% more than Hervey Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Melbourne and Hervey Bay sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Hervey Bay by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.87

$17.48 A$24.85

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$74.4 A$106

13.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.30

$10.56 A$15.00

15.25%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.85 A$5.47

5.71%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.90 A$4.12

9.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.26 A$3.21

10.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$5.99 A$8.51

59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$8.23 A$11.70

0.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.62 A$2.31

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.71 A$3.86

9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$2.21 A$3.15

21.27%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$4.76 A$6.77

14.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.23

$9.13 A$12.98

17.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$9.35 A$13.29

7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.32

$14.41 A$20.49

4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$4.30 A$6.12

-5.35%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.14 A$4.47

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.02 A$4.30

3.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.73

$4.96 A$7.05

-4.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$2.72 A$3.86

9.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.43 A$3.45

2.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.29 A$3.26

8.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.19 A$1.69

34.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.5

$38.10 A$54.2

17.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$12.47 A$17.72

1.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$5.17 A$7.35

7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$5.12 A$7.28

1.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$2.94 A$4.18

30.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$80.7 A$115

71.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$3.10 A$4.40

40.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.81 A$2.58

-24.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.25

$41.81 A$59.4

-28.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.45 A$2.06

2.76%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$29.5K A$41.9K

-1.31%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$25.8K A$36.6K

-0.45%

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

$236 A$335

$163 A$231

44.91%

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

$28.01 A$39.82

$25.76 A$36.61

8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.4

$61.1 A$86.8

-6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$49.51 A$70.4

-2.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.51

$15.99 A$22.73

34.21%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.11

$13.76 A$19.57

28.42%

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

$2,461 A$3,498

$2,043 A$2,905

20.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$12.8K A$18.1K

132.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$63.3 A$90.0

28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$44.32 A$63.0

11.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$63.3 A$89.9

88.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$63.8 A$90.7

105.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,420

$1,400 A$1,990

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$1,218 A$1,732

15.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,969

$2,268 A$3,224

54.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,591

$1,834 A$2,607

37.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$5,566 A$7,912

43.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,808

$4,622 A$6,570

49.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,051

$2,751 A$3,910

54.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.81

1.55%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hervey Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Hervey Bay

$1.2K 50.7% 13.5% $190

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Hervey Bay

$363 15.1% 6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Hervey Bay

$249 10.4% 22.3% $71

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Hervey Bay

$285 11.9% 8.9% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Hervey Bay

$106 4.4% 38.4% $66

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Hervey Bay

$105 4.4% 36.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Hervey Bay

$77 3.2% 8% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,400 in Hervey Bay. 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 55% higher in Melbourne. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne versus $74 in Hervey Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $363 – making Hervey Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Hervey Bay

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

57,722

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Hervey Bay 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Hervey 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 Hervey Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,605 in Hervey Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hervey Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

Kindergarten costs $2,461 per month in Melbourne and $2,043 in Hervey Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Melbourne, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Hervey 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.

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