Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Berry

For one person, living is cheaper in Berry: $2,524 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Berry
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Berry Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Berry

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Berry

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Berry actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,524 in Berry, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Berry $2,524

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $3,707 in Berry, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Berry $3,707

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $4,889 in Berry, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Berry $4,889

Melbourne costs about 13% more than Berry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Berry sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Berry by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$20.55 A$29.19

-14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$90.2 A$128

-6.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$10.32 A$14.66

17.93%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$4.13 A$5.87

-1.45%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$8.12 A$11.54

17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$9.96 A$14.16

-17.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.49 A$2.12

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$3.28 A$4.66

-9.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$2.66 A$3.78

0.75%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$5.24 A$7.44

4.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$13.15 A$18.69

-18.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$9.72 A$13.81

3.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$15.29 A$21.72

-1.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$4.01 A$5.69

1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.21 A$4.56

-2.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.52 A$5.01

-11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$5.09 A$7.24

-7.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$3.19 A$4.54

-6.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.85 A$4.05

-12.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.45 A$3.48

1.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.34 A$1.90

19.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$44.04 A$62.6

1.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$13.71 A$19.48

-7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$4.60 A$6.54

20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$5.65 A$8.02

-8.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$2.96 A$4.20

29.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$80.9 A$115

71.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$4.03 A$5.72

8.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.64 A$2.33

-16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$42.32 A$60.1

-29.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.36 A$1.93

9.56%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$28.2K A$40.0K

3.27%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$26.2K A$37.2K

-1.93%

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

$236 A$335

$181 A$257

30.48%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$26.27 A$37.33

6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$54.8 A$77.8

4.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$55.0 A$78.1

-11.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

$17.53 A$24.91

22.42%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$16.00 A$22.73

10.44%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$2,371 A$3,369

3.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$20.7K A$29.4K

43.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$75.6 A$107

7.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$57.3 A$81.4

-13.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$106 A$150

13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$132 A$187

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

$1,407 A$1,999

21.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$1,181 A$1,677

19.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$2,155 A$3,061

62.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$1,811 A$2,573

39.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$5,772 A$8,202

38.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

$4,982 A$7,079

38.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$4,393 A$6,241

-3.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.95

-0.84%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Berry: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Berry

$1.2K 46.8% 16.2% $228

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Berry

$395 15.7% 2.2% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Berry

$262 10.4% 18.5% $59

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Berry

$328 13% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Berry

$167 6.6% 2.8% $4.8

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Berry

$105 4.2% 36.5% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Berry

$87 3.5% 3.9% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,407 in Berry. 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 3% higher in Berry, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne versus $90 in Berry. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $395 – making Melbourne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Berry

🕒 Local time

03:45 3:45 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

2,700

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Berry 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Berry

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

Melbourne vs Berry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne, $2,524 in Berry – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $3,786 in Berry. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Berry, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,407 there versus $1,703 in Melbourne.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Melbourne and $90 in Berry. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Berry. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Berry – 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.