Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Melbourne

For one person, living costs are similar in Canberra and in Melbourne: $2,886 and $2,849 a month, rent and utilities included.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,886 per month in Canberra vs $2,849 in Melbourne, rent included.

Canberra $2,886
Melbourne $2,849

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Canberra vs $4,274 in Melbourne, rent included.

Canberra $4,020
Melbourne $4,274

A family of three spends $5,153 per month in Canberra vs $5,699 in Melbourne, rent included.

Canberra $5,153
Melbourne $5,699

Canberra costs about 1% more than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Canberra and Melbourne sit above the global median – Canberra by 112%, Melbourne by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 A$29.53

$17.50 A$24.88

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 A$128

$84.3 A$120

6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.83

$12.17 A$17.30

-14.30%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.67

$4.07 A$5.79

-1.97%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$3.18 A$4.52

-1.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 A$3.75

$2.50 A$3.55

5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.83

$9.57 A$13.61

-13.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 A$14.37

$8.25 A$11.73

22.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.50 A$2.14

-0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$2.97 A$4.22

5.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.68 A$3.82

-5.60%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.57

$5.45 A$7.76

-2.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 A$18.69

$10.71 A$15.23

22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.19

$10.05 A$14.29

-0.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 A$21.44

$15.00 A$21.33

0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$4.07 A$5.79

-0.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$3.14 A$4.46

0.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.04

$3.12 A$4.43

13.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$4.73 A$6.73

8.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$2.98 A$4.24

8.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.03

$2.49 A$3.55

13.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.60 A$2.27

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.06 A$62.7

$44.65 A$63.5

-1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.28

$12.68 A$18.03

12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.85

$5.55 A$7.89

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.08

$5.18 A$7.37

9.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.60

$3.84 A$5.46

-34.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$135

$139 A$197

-31.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.68

$4.36 A$6.20

-8.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.37 A$1.94

20.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.56 A$60.5

$29.72 A$42.26

43.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.49 A$2.11

-10.74%

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

$28.0K A$39.8K

$29.1K A$41.4K

-3.80%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$25.7K A$36.5K

2.42%

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

$184 A$262

$236 A$335

-21.81%

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

$26.57 A$37.78

$28.01 A$39.83

-5.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 A$79.5

$57.2 A$81.4

-2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 A$113

$48.39 A$68.8

64.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 A$39.55

$21.46 A$30.52

29.59%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.78

$17.67 A$25.12

-9.34%

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

$2,460 A$3,498

$2,461 A$3,499

-0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.3K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-30.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$81.2 A$115

-6.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.7

$49.28 A$70.1

16.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$120 A$170

-10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$131 A$186

1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,486

$1,703 A$2,421

2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 A$2,126

$1,409 A$2,003

6.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 A$4,358

$3,496 A$4,971

-12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,813

$2,527 A$3,593

-21.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K A$15.8K

$7,978 A$11.3K

39.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,790 A$11.1K

$6,900 A$9,812

12.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 A$6,139

$4,257 A$6,053

1.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.9

0.85%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4% 5.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$397 13.8%

Melbourne

$386 13.6% 2.7% $11

Eating Out

Canberra

$330 11.4%

Melbourne

$312 11% 5.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$267 9.2%

Melbourne

$321 11.3% 20.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$168 5.8%

Melbourne

$171 6% 1.9% $3.3

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Melbourne

$165 5.8% 41.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$111 3.9%

Melbourne

$84 2.9% 24.9% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,749 in Canberra versus $1,703 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Canberra versus $84 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $386 – making Melbourne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

Same time as Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Canberra vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,886 in Canberra, $2,849 in Melbourne – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,329 per month in Canberra and $4,273 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,749 in Canberra and $1,703 in Melbourne. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,886 in Canberra and $2,849 in Melbourne. That’s a gap of about 1%.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Canberra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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.