Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Taree Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Taree

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,465 in Melbourne versus $2,227 in Taree.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Melbourne versus $3,266 in Taree.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,806 in Melbourne versus $4,305 in Taree.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than Taree, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 84% above, Taree 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 A$27.07

$16.27 A$22.78

18.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 A$110

$78.7 A$110

-0.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 A$14.04

$9.80 A$13.72

2.35%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.07

$3.40 A$4.76

6.47%

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

$2.61 A$3.66

$2.52 A$3.53

3.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.23

$2.11 A$2.96

9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 A$10.40

$6.36 A$8.90

16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.07

$6.95 A$9.73

3.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.04

$1.45 A$2.02

0.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.72

$2.31 A$3.24

15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.25

$1.95 A$2.73

18.97%

Eggs

$4.68 A$6.56

$4.39 A$6.14

6.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 A$12.87

$8.40 A$11.75

9.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 A$13.10

$8.16 A$11.43

14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 A$20.56

$13.57 A$19.00

8.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.49

$3.31 A$4.63

-3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.76 A$3.87

0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.14

$2.85 A$3.99

3.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.73

$4.23 A$5.93

-3.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.78

$2.52 A$3.53

7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.29

$2.16 A$3.03

8.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.10

$2.18 A$3.05

1.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.32

$1.58 A$2.21

5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.79 A$45.91

$31.49 A$44.08

4.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 A$20.42

$14.66 A$20.53

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.61

$4.68 A$6.56

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 A$7.13

$5.26 A$7.37

-3.23%

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

$64.2 A$89.9

83.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.15

$3.65 A$5.11

0.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.95

$1.59 A$2.23

-12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 A$38.61

$33.42 A$46.78

-17.47%

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

$29.4K A$41.1K

-0.32%

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

$23.7K A$33.2K

$22.2K A$31.1K

6.45%

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

$152 A$212

$181 A$253

-16.05%

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

$21.15 A$29.62

$27.33 A$38.26

-22.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.94 A$69.9

$53.7 A$75.1

-6.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.19 A$68.9

$48.37 A$67.7

1.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 A$22.62

$15.79 A$22.11

2.28%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.38

$13.24 A$18.53

20.77%

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

$1,756 A$2,458

$1,633 A$2,287

7.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.9K

$11.9K A$16.6K

61.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 A$93.6

$67.9 A$95.1

-1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$75.5

$50.1 A$70.1

7.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$99.7 A$140

6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$144

$108 A$151

-4.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 A$2,196

$1,277 A$1,787

22.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 A$1,656

$1,084 A$1,518

9.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,038 A$4,254

$2,028 A$2,840

49.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,831

$1,670 A$2,338

21.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,557 A$10.6K

$7,040 A$9,855

7.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,138

$5,528 A$7,740

18.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,490 A$6,287

$3,071 A$4,300

46.21%

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 Taree: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,568 in Melbourne and $1,277 in Taree. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78.0 in Melbourne vs $79.0 in Taree. Groceries flip the comparison at $357 vs $338, with Taree 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 Taree: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Taree differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,465 vs $2,227 including rent). Taree is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 46% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,568 in Melbourne versus $1,277 in Taree. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,756 in Melbourne versus $1,633 in Taree. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,227 in Taree versus $2,465 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Taree but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Taree 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 Taree 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 Taree gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.