Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Berry Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Berry

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,418 per month in Melbourne vs $2,263 in Berry, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,660 per month in Melbourne vs $3,302 in Berry, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,902 per month in Melbourne vs $4,341 in Berry, rent included.

Melbourne costs about 7% more than Berry, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Melbourne and Berry sit above the global median – Melbourne by 80%, Berry by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.16 A$27.07

$17.75 A$25.08

7.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$95.6 A$135

-17.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 A$14.19

$8.39 A$11.86

19.79%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$5.03

$3.37 A$4.76

5.64%

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

$2.59 A$3.66

$2.88 A$4.07

-10.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.37

$2.11 A$2.99

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 A$10.65

$6.42 A$9.06

17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.16

$6.65 A$9.40

8.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.15

$1.30 A$1.84

16.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.58

$2.30 A$3.25

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.19

$2.16 A$3.06

4.63%

Eggs

$4.64 A$6.56

$3.71 A$5.24

25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.77

$9.38 A$13.25

-3.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.44

$7.84 A$11.08

21.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 A$20.82

$14.04 A$19.84

4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.72

$3.18 A$4.50

5.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$2.72 A$3.84

4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.09

$2.65 A$3.75

9.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.59

$3.84 A$5.42

2.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.91

$2.76 A$3.89

0.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.32

$2.13 A$3.01

10.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$2.99

$2.06 A$2.90

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.24

$1.08 A$1.53

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.41 A$45.79

$29.49 A$41.67

9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.66

$14.57 A$20.58

-4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.49 A$6.34

$4.00 A$5.65

12.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.36

$3.10 A$4.38

68.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 A$5.19

$2.66 A$3.76

37.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$170

$66.0 A$93.3

82.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.97

$2.31 A$3.26

52.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.96

$1.78 A$2.52

-21.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.24 A$38.49

$37.75 A$53.3

-27.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.12 A$1.58

5.36%

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

$29.2K A$41.2K

$29.0K A$40.9K

0.73%

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

$23.5K A$33.2K

$21.5K A$30.4K

8.90%

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

$152 A$215

$190 A$268

-19.89%

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

$20.95 A$29.60

$28.91 A$40.84

-27.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 A$72.5

$56.7 A$80.0

-9.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.31 A$68.3

$49.42 A$69.8

-2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 A$22.51

$15.81 A$22.34

0.76%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.60

$12.85 A$18.15

24.44%

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

$1,729 A$2,443

$928 A$1,311

86.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.5K

$12.3K A$17.3K

59.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 A$95.6

$76.4 A$108

-11.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 A$74.5

$45.47 A$64.2

15.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$147

$92.6 A$131

12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$146

$107 A$151

-3.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 A$2,162

$1,274 A$1,800

20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,738

$1,074 A$1,517

14.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 A$4,181

$2,056 A$2,905

43.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,795

$1,691 A$2,389

16.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,928 A$9,789

$6,848 A$9,675

1.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,056 A$8,556

$5,094 A$7,197

18.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,479 A$6,329

$4,357 A$6,155

2.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.75

-8.30%

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

Last update for Melbourne: June 9, 2026

Last update for Berry: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,530 in Melbourne versus $1,274 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 Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Melbourne versus $96.0 in Berry. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Melbourne vs $320 in Berry – so Berry wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $2,418 in Melbourne, $2,263 in Berry – roughly 7% apart. Melbourne costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,627 per month in Melbourne and $3,395 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Melbourne and $96.0 in Berry. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,418 in Melbourne and $2,263 in Berry. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Berry, where all-in costs run around $2,263, than in Melbourne at $2,418. In Berry it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Berry. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.