Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taree and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Taree: $2,586 a month against $2,823 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Taree
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Taree Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Taree

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,586

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,823

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taree and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Taree and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,586 in Taree versus $2,823 in Melbourne.

Taree $2,586
Melbourne $2,823

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,602 in Taree versus $4,253 in Melbourne.

Taree $3,602
Melbourne $4,253

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,618 in Taree versus $5,683 in Melbourne.

Taree $4,618
Melbourne $5,683

Living in Taree costs roughly 8% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taree 91% above, Melbourne 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 A$24.96

$17.34 A$24.82

0.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 A$123

$82.7 A$118

3.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 A$14.73

$12.63 A$18.08

-18.53%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.77

$4.22 A$6.04

-4.50%

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

$2.82 A$4.03

$3.12 A$4.46

-9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.48 A$3.55

-10.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 A$11.13

$9.69 A$13.87

-19.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 A$10.46

$8.30 A$11.88

-11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.77

$1.50 A$2.15

-18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 A$2.16

$3.08 A$4.40

-50.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 A$1.24

$2.64 A$3.78

-67.42%

Eggs

$3.72 A$5.32

$5.58 A$7.98

-33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 A$11.33

$9.78 A$14.01

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 A$9.91

$9.52 A$13.63

-27.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.31 A$23.35

$15.18 A$21.73

7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.04

$4.22 A$6.04

-33.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.46

$3.13 A$4.48

-22.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 A$2.31

$3.24 A$4.64

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 A$5.43

$4.71 A$6.74

-19.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

$3.13 A$4.48

-26.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 A$2.44

$2.46 A$3.52

-30.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.46

$2.40 A$3.44

0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 A$2.68

$1.47 A$2.11

27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.96 A$42.89

$42.76 A$61.2

-29.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.50 A$10.74

$12.90 A$18.47

-41.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$5.53 A$7.91

-56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.33

$5.16 A$7.38

-0.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.09

$3.79 A$5.43

-24.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.2 A$142

$141 A$202

-29.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 A$4.74

$3.75 A$5.37

-11.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 A$2.91

$1.44 A$2.07

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.32 A$60.6

$28.93 A$41.42

46.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.82

$1.45 A$2.07

-12.41%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$29.6K A$42.3K

-13.21%

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

$25.0K A$35.9K

$26.3K A$37.6K

-4.61%

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

$217 A$310

$229 A$328

-5.40%

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

$23.29 A$33.33

$26.76 A$38.31

-12.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 A$74.9

$57.5 A$82.4

-9.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 A$86.5

$49.77 A$71.3

21.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 A$23.54

$21.45 A$30.70

-23.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 A$20.16

$17.43 A$24.96

-19.22%

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

$2,040 A$2,920

$2,435 A$3,485

-16.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K A$31.8K

$33.6K A$48.1K

-33.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 A$122

$80.4 A$115

6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 A$81.6

$51.5 A$73.7

10.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$148

$121 A$174

-14.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$165

$134 A$191

-13.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 A$1,785

$1,748 A$2,503

-28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 A$1,918

$1,386 A$1,984

-3.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 A$3,529

$3,468 A$4,964

-28.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 A$2,601

$2,520 A$3,607

-27.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,610 A$9,462

$8,274 A$11.8K

-20.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,570 A$6,542

$7,066 A$10.1K

-35.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,952 A$4,225

$4,206 A$6,021

-29.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.97

-1.01%

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

Last update for Taree: November 3, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Taree

$1.3K 51.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.1% 3.5% $47

Eating Out

Taree

$292 11.3%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 7.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taree

$292 11.3%

Melbourne

$313 11.1% 7.2% $21

Groceries & Markets

Taree

$287 11.1%

Melbourne

$383 13.6% 33.5% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Taree

$163 6.3%

Melbourne

$174 6.2% 7% $11

Getting Around

Taree

$124 4.8%

Melbourne

$167 5.9% 34.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Taree

$89 3.4%

Melbourne

$85 3% 4.5% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,247 in Taree and $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $86 in Taree vs $83 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $383, with Taree cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Taree

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

Same time as Taree

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,110

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Taree Melbourne 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Taree
Melbourne

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

Taree vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,586 in Taree and $2,823 in Melbourne, so Taree is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Taree. 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: $1,247 in Taree versus $1,748 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,040 in Taree versus $2,435 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Taree is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Taree and Melbourne are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Taree wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.