Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Melbourne, FL Cost of Living Comparison Between Bristol and Melbourne, FL

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,879 in Bristol versus $2,935 in Melbourne, FL.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,130 in Bristol versus $4,015 in Melbourne, FL.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,380 in Bristol versus $5,094 in Melbourne, FL.

Living in Bristol costs roughly 2% less than in Melbourne, FL, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bristol 115% above, Melbourne, FL 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.15

$25.38 $25.38

-19.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.3

$73.8 $73.8

40.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.00

$9.97 $9.97

7.82%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.83

$4.87 $4.87

5.54%

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

$2.70 £2.01

$2.63 $2.63

2.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$2.09 $2.09

-17.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.92

$5.94 $5.94

33.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 £5.07

$6.40 $6.40

6.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.89 $0.89

75.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.75

$3.72 $3.72

-36.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.74 $2.74

-31.75%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.11

$3.94 $3.94

6.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 £9.16

$11.63 $11.63

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 £8.46

$8.43 $8.43

34.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.15 £9.05

$14.53 $14.53

-16.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$4.80 $4.80

-29.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.49 $1.49

10.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.03

$3.64 $3.64

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 £2.97

$5.17 $5.17

-23.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 £1.52

$2.59 $2.59

-21.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$3.39 $3.39

-47.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$2.28 $2.28

-47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$2.10 $2.10

-11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.50 £15.27

$9.31 $9.31

120.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 £8.07

$15.40 $15.40

-29.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.22

$1.72 $1.72

73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$2.80 $2.80

-3.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 £2.32

$3.83 $3.83

-18.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.5

$42.31 $42.31

171.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.15

$4.57 $4.57

22.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$0.64 $0.64

164.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 £20.64

$22.19 $22.19

24.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$0.84 $0.84

126.19%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$23.7K $23.7K

61.39%

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

$35.3K £26.3K

$24.2K $24.2K

46.24%

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

$301 £224

$173 $173

74.50%

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

$16.75 £12.48

$55.8 $55.8

-69.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.52 £33.90

$64.4 $64.4

-29.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.81 £37.10

$70.4 $70.4

-29.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 £7.54

$2.03 $2.03

398.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 £10.22

$12.96 $12.96

5.86%

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

$2,193 £1,633

$910 $910

141.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K £18.0K

$15.8K $15.8K

53.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.6 £71.2

$47.09 $47.09

102.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.61 £36.20

$45.86 $45.86

6.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$86.3 $86.3

29.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 £103

$93.8 $93.8

47.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 £1,379

$1,625 $1,625

13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 £1,036

$1,607 $1,607

-13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,094 £2,305

$3,018 $3,018

2.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 £1,702

$2,293 $2,293

-0.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,918 £5,153

$2,493 $2,493

177.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,209 £3,880

$2,482 $2,482

109.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,777 £2,813

$3,643 $3,643

3.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

6.53

-14.24%

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

Last update for Bristol: May 31, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, FL: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,852 in Bristol and $1,625 in Melbourne, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $104 in Bristol vs $74.0 in Melbourne, FL. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $361, with Bristol 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

Bristol vs Melbourne, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bristol and Melbourne, FL differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,879 vs $2,935 including rent). Bristol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Bristol pays 4% 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: $1,852 in Bristol versus $1,625 in Melbourne, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Melbourne, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bristol – a meal for two runs $104 versus $74.0 in Melbourne, FL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bristol 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, Bristol and Melbourne, FL 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 Bristol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Melbourne, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.