Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Carlton versus $2,418 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,078 in Carlton versus $3,660 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,970 in Carlton versus $4,902 in Melbourne.

Living in Carlton costs roughly 10% less than in Melbourne, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 63% above, Melbourne 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.53 A$27.59

$19.16 A$27.07

1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.8 A$90.2

$79.0 A$112

-19.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 A$13.27

$10.05 A$14.19

-6.57%

Cappuccino

$2.74 A$3.86

$3.56 A$5.03

-23.03%

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

$2.47 A$3.50

$2.59 A$3.66

-4.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 A$2.71

$2.39 A$3.37

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 A$8.80

$7.54 A$10.65

-17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 A$8.52

$7.19 A$10.16

-16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 A$1.51

$1.52 A$2.15

-29.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 A$2.39

$2.53 A$3.58

-33.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 A$2.29

$2.26 A$3.19

-28.32%

Eggs

$3.05 A$4.31

$4.64 A$6.56

-34.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.85

$9.04 A$12.77

0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.86

$9.51 A$13.44

-4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 A$20.88

$14.73 A$20.82

0.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.49

$3.34 A$4.72

-4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.76

$2.84 A$4.01

-6.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.18

$2.89 A$4.09

2.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 A$5.59

$3.95 A$5.59

0.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.22

$2.77 A$3.91

-17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.84

$2.35 A$3.32

-14.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 A$3.08

$2.12 A$2.99

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.82

$1.58 A$2.24

-18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.59 A$40.40

$32.41 A$45.79

-11.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 A$15.01

$13.92 A$19.66

-23.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.60 A$6.51

$4.49 A$6.34

2.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.40

$5.21 A$7.36

0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.09

$3.67 A$5.19

-21.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 A$72.1

$120 A$170

-57.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 A$5.14

$3.52 A$4.97

3.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 A$1.87

$1.39 A$1.96

-5.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.67 A$34.85

$27.24 A$38.49

-9.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$1.18 A$1.67

0.85%

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

$22.7K A$32.1K

$29.2K A$41.2K

-22.04%

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

$13.1K A$18.5K

$23.5K A$33.2K

-44.18%

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

$75.2 A$106

$152 A$215

-50.46%

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

$21.33 A$30.14

$20.95 A$29.60

1.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.40 A$61.3

$51.3 A$72.5

-15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.84 A$63.4

$48.31 A$68.3

-7.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.80 A$25.14

$15.93 A$22.51

11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.86 A$16.76

$15.99 A$22.60

-25.83%

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

$1,210 A$1,710

$1,729 A$2,443

-29.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K A$16.2K

$19.5K A$27.5K

-41.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$96.5

$67.7 A$95.6

0.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$76.1

$52.7 A$74.5

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 A$107

$104 A$147

-27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$148

$104 A$146

0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 A$1,851

$1,530 A$2,162

-14.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 A$1,583

$1,230 A$1,738

-8.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,740

$2,959 A$4,181

-34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 A$2,286

$1,978 A$2,795

-18.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,925 A$9,784

$6,928 A$9,789

-0.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,589 A$6,484

$6,056 A$8,556

-24.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,912 A$8,353

$4,479 A$6,329

31.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

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

Last update for Carlton: June 7, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,310 in Carlton and $1,530 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Carlton vs $79.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $353 per month, with Carlton cheaper across the board.

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

Carlton vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Melbourne differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,186 vs $2,418 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carlton pays 32% 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: $1,310 in Carlton versus $1,530 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,210 in Carlton versus $1,729 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,186 in Carlton versus $2,418 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Carlton 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.