Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Brighton and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,937 in Brighton versus $2,416 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,342 in Brighton versus $3,579 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,748 in Brighton versus $4,742 in Melbourne.

Living in Brighton is roughly 22% more expensive than Melbourne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brighton 119% above, Melbourne 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.97

$19.75 A$27.52

1.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 £71.9

$78.7 A$110

22.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 £7.18

$9.70 A$13.52

-0.41%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.38

$3.66 A$5.11

24.32%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$2.60 A$3.63

-18.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.21

$2.34 A$3.26

-30.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 £6.38

$7.17 A$10.00

19.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 £4.96

$6.99 A$9.73

-4.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 £1.38

$1.45 A$2.02

27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.66 A$3.71

-21.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.12 £1.58

$2.34 A$3.26

-9.40%

Eggs

$5.06 £3.76

$4.80 A$6.69

5.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 £8.89

$8.77 A$12.21

36.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.68

$9.44 A$13.15

-4.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 £13.31

$14.42 A$20.09

24.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.42

$3.33 A$4.64

-2.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.50

$2.77 A$3.87

-27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$3.00 A$4.18

7.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.50

$3.95 A$5.50

-14.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 £1.70

$2.68 A$3.73

-14.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$2.36 A$3.28

-13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 £0.84

$2.14 A$2.98

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.63 A$2.27

-11.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.41 £15.92

$32.44 A$45.21

-34.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 £8.30

$14.11 A$19.66

-20.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.08

$4.64 A$6.47

-39.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.92

$5.04 A$7.02

-48.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.47

$3.49 A$4.87

-4.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$129 £95.7

$120 A$167

7.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 £3.37

$3.50 A$4.88

29.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 £1.63

$1.35 A$1.87

62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.41 £30.78

$26.94 A$37.55

53.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.19 A$1.66

65.55%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$29.4K A$41.0K

28.33%

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

$42.0K £31.2K

$23.6K A$32.9K

78.02%

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

$290 £216

$150 A$209

93.43%

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

$18.36 £13.65

$21.16 A$29.49

-13.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.81 £30.34

$50.3 A$70.1

-18.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 £40.09

$49.14 A$68.5

9.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 £13.97

$16.37 A$22.82

14.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.52 £13.02

$16.43 A$22.90

6.63%

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

$1,783 £1,325

$1,764 A$2,458

1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K £14.2K

$19.2K A$26.7K

-0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 £68.8

$68.3 A$95.2

35.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 £31.90

$53.3 A$74.3

-19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.5

$106 A$148

1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.1 £58.8

$105 A$146

-24.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 £1,359

$1,572 A$2,191

16.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 £1,162

$1,195 A$1,665

30.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,247 £2,413

$3,048 A$4,247

6.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 £1,939

$1,990 A$2,772

31.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,819 £6,555

$7,387 A$10.3K

19.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,240 £4,638

$6,527 A$9,095

-4.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,476 £2,583

$4,512 A$6,288

-22.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

6.19

-9.05%

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

Last update for Brighton: June 1, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,828 in Brighton and $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Brighton vs $79.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $354, with Brighton 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

Brighton vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brighton and Melbourne differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,937 vs $2,416 including rent). Melbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Melbourne earns 30% 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: $1,828 in Brighton versus $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,783 in Brighton versus $1,764 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Brighton pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne 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, Brighton and Melbourne 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.