Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,518 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $2,853 in Melbourne, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Melbourne $2,853

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $4,275 in Melbourne, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Melbourne $4,275

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $5,697 in Melbourne, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Melbourne $5,697

Brisbane is about 12% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Melbourne sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Melbourne by 111%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$25.02

$17.20 A$24.75

1.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$102

$83.1 A$120

-14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.95

$12.43 A$17.88

-10.78%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$4.05 A$5.82

9.38%

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

$2.90 A$4.17

$3.12 A$4.50

-7.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$2.46 A$3.54

-1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$12.12

$9.52 A$13.71

-11.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.96

$8.16 A$11.74

1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.40

$1.56 A$2.25

7.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.92

$2.90 A$4.18

-6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$2.66 A$3.82

-13.91%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.94

$5.37 A$7.72

-10.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$10.67 A$15.36

-15.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$9.85 A$14.17

-6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.45

$15.36 A$22.11

-7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.20

$4.17 A$6.00

3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$3.15 A$4.53

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.26 A$4.69

-7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.84

$4.76 A$6.85

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.92

$3.06 A$4.41

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.37

$2.47 A$3.55

-5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$2.45 A$3.52

-1.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.63 A$2.34

-26.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.7

$45.17 A$65.0

-14.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$12.68 A$18.25

-0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$5.69 A$8.18

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$5.23 A$7.53

-1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.53

$3.87 A$5.57

-90.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.81

$142 A$204

-85.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.20

$4.54 A$6.53

-35.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.68

$1.42 A$2.04

30.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$59.1

$30.59 A$44.01

34.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.47 A$2.11

-4.76%

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

$29.7K A$42.8K

$28.9K A$41.5K

3.06%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$25.9K A$37.3K

0.19%

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

$159 A$229

$235 A$338

-32.32%

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

$26.52 A$38.16

$27.45 A$39.51

-3.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$87.2

$56.1 A$80.8

7.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$87.6

$50.1 A$72.1

21.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.97

$21.49 A$30.93

3.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.34

$17.76 A$25.56

-20.38%

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

$1,952 A$2,808

$2,385 A$3,432

-18.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.3K

$29.7K A$42.7K

-57.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$120

$79.2 A$114

5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.9

$49.49 A$71.2

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$163

$118 A$170

-4.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$160

$132 A$190

-16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$1,763 A$2,537

9.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,902

$1,411 A$2,031

-6.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,904

$3,522 A$5,069

-3.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,226

$2,525 A$3,634

-11.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.9K

$7,136 A$10.3K

15.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,518

$6,355 A$9,144

-6.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$6,020

$4,258 A$6,128

-1.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 6.8% $89

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 7% $25

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 1.3% $4.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 29.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Melbourne

$171 6% 8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Melbourne

$86 3% 3.9% $3.5

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 391% $135

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $1,763 in Melbourne. 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 2% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane versus $83.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $388 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Melbourne 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
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

Brisbane vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 13% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Brisbane and $4,280 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane and $83.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,518 in Brisbane and $2,853 in Melbourne. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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