Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Toowoomba Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Toowoomba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $1,905 in Toowoomba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $2,698 in Toowoomba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $3,491 in Toowoomba.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 27% more expensive than in Toowoomba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Toowoomba 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.71

$14.91 A$21.34

29.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$58.2 A$83.3

33.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.10

$8.87 A$12.70

11.05%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.33

$3.23 A$4.63

15.48%

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

$2.62 A$3.75

$2.54 A$3.64

3.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$2.07 A$2.97

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.53

$6.03 A$8.63

22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.93

$6.67 A$9.55

4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.43 A$2.05

4.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.00 A$2.86

29.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.64 A$2.35

42.68%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$4.05 A$5.80

19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.49

$7.22 A$10.33

20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$7.71 A$11.05

20.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.88

$12.48 A$17.87

16.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$2.98 A$4.26

11.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$2.11 A$3.03

33.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$2.32 A$3.32

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$2.52 A$3.61

57.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.14 A$3.06

24.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.32 A$3.32

-3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.90 A$2.73

15.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$2.20 A$3.15

-25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.74

$26.48 A$37.92

20.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.93

$13.56 A$19.41

2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$4.35 A$6.23

7.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.21

$6.66 A$9.53

-24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.01

$2.61 A$3.74

34.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$66.1 A$94.6

82.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$1.99 A$2.85

78.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.44 A$2.06

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.37

$31.96 A$45.76

-13.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.19 A$1.70

-3.36%

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

$29.2K A$41.8K

$24.4K A$35.0K

19.38%

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

$23.0K A$32.9K

$21.1K A$30.2K

8.73%

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

$154 A$220

$75.2 A$108

104.63%

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

$20.93 A$29.97

$32.67 A$46.77

-35.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$46.88 A$67.1

9.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$31.10 A$44.52

57.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.25

$15.92 A$22.79

2.01%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.87

$13.17 A$18.86

21.26%

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

$1,765 A$2,527

$492 A$704

258.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.9K

$6,989 A$10.0K

179.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.0

$61.3 A$87.7

9.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$47.54 A$68.1

14.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$80.4 A$115

31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$148

$123 A$176

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,255

$993 A$1,422

58.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,726

$926 A$1,325

30.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,354

$1,434 A$2,053

112.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,895

$1,186 A$1,697

70.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$3,438 A$4,922

105.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,192

$2,629 A$3,764

144.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,297

$3,816 A$5,464

15.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.5

-4.77%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Toowoomba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $993 in Toowoomba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 15% 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: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $58.0 in Toowoomba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $312 per month, with Toowoomba cheaper across the board.

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 Toowoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Toowoomba differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $1,905 including rent). Toowoomba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $993 in Toowoomba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,765 in Melbourne versus $492 in Toowoomba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,905 in Toowoomba versus $2,420 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Toowoomba but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.