Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Barrie Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Barrie

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,609 in Barrie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $3,673 in Barrie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $4,736 in Barrie.

Living in Melbourne costs roughly 7% less than in Barrie, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Barrie 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$14.98 CA$20.74

31.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$73.0 CA$101

7.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$10.23 CA$14.16

-5.18%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$3.40 CA$4.71

7.65%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$1.86 CA$2.58

39.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$1.17 CA$1.62

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$6.36 CA$8.81

12.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$5.90 CA$8.17

18.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$2.80 CA$3.88

-48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.96 CA$4.10

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$3.93 CA$5.44

-40.46%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$3.13 CA$4.34

53.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$8.70 CA$12.05

0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$14.80 CA$20.49

-36.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$24.52 CA$33.94

-41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$3.58 CA$4.95

-6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$1.27 CA$1.76

118.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$2.96 CA$4.10

1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$5.12 CA$7.09

-22.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$1.67 CA$2.31

60.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$3.68 CA$5.09

-35.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$2.71 CA$3.76

-21.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$1.75 CA$2.42

-6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$11.93 CA$16.51

171.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$10.40 CA$14.40

35.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$2.39 CA$3.31

94.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$2.30 CA$3.19

119.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$2.63 CA$3.64

32.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$66.7 CA$92.3

79.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$2.89 CA$4.00

21.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$2.11 CA$2.92

-36.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$25.89 CA$35.84

4.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.14 CA$1.58

4.39%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$25.2K CA$34.9K

16.80%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$20.8K CA$28.8K

13.45%

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

$150 A$209

$197 CA$272

-23.72%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$42.53 CA$58.9

-50.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$74.8 CA$104

-32.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$36.90 CA$51.1

33.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$37.25 CA$51.6

-56.05%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$13.30 CA$18.42

23.53%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$1,487 CA$2,059

18.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$11.9K CA$16.5K

60.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$72.1 CA$99.8

-5.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$56.0 CA$77.5

-4.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$143 CA$197

-25.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$113 CA$156

-7.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,406 CA$1,946

11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$1,310 CA$1,813

-8.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$2,169 CA$3,003

40.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$1,898 CA$2,628

4.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$5,063 CA$7,011

45.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$4,295 CA$5,947

51.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$3,121 CA$4,322

44.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.63

-6.64%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Barrie: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,406 in Barrie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $73.0 in Barrie. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $404, with Melbourne 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

Melbourne vs Barrie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Barrie differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,609 including rent). Melbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 45% 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: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,406 in Barrie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Melbourne runs roughly 80% less than in Barrie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $1,487 in Barrie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,609 in Barrie, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Melbourne but tight or insufficient in Barrie. The gap between the two cities makes Melbourne 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, Melbourne and Barrie 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 8% less than in Barrie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.