Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Biarritz Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Biarritz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,894 in Melbourne versus $2,181 in Biarritz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,377 in Melbourne versus $3,562 in Biarritz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,860 in Melbourne versus $4,944 in Biarritz.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 33% more expensive than in Biarritz, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Biarritz 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 A$25.05

$20.74 €17.89

-13.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$118

$82.6 €71.2

2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.26 A$17.10

$14.39 €12.42

-14.80%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$5.90

$3.74 €3.23

12.83%

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

$3.16 A$4.40

$2.95 €2.54

7.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 A$3.72

$1.43 €1.24

86.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.98 A$13.93

$7.93 €6.85

25.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 A$12.32

$7.01 €6.05

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.30

$1.24 €1.07

33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 A$4.75

$2.10 €1.81

61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.89

$2.27 €1.96

22.91%

Eggs

$5.69 A$7.94

$3.75 €3.23

51.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 A$15.77

$14.08 €12.15

-19.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 A$13.49

$16.98 €14.65

-43.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 A$22.02

$22.64 €19.53

-30.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.85

$3.40 €2.93

23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$2.27 €1.96

33.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.57

$3.57 €3.08

-8.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.72

$4.68 €4.04

2.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.55

$2.34 €2.02

39.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.73 €2.36

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.41 €1.21

78.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.29

$0.52 €0.45

215.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.11 A$64.3

$13.58 €11.72

239.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 A$16.83

$10.28 €8.87

17.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.65

$4.16 €3.59

31.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 A$7.19

$3.40 €2.94

51.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 A$5.34

$1.73 €1.49

121.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 A$202

$44.71 €38.58

223.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 A$6.02

$2.38 €2.05

81.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.05

$1.95 €1.68

-24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 A$43.29

$39.79 €34.34

-22.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.04

$2.03 €1.75

-28.08%

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

$29.5K A$41.2K

$36.4K €31.4K

-18.96%

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

$27.7K A$38.7K

$35.1K €30.3K

-21.10%

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

$242 A$338

$232 €200

4.52%

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

$28.20 A$39.35

$16.31 €14.07

72.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$79.8

$32.59 €28.12

75.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 A$78.4

$74.7 €64.4

-24.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.71 A$30.29

$24.11 €20.80

-9.95%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.96

$10.38 €8.95

72.35%

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

$2,443 A$3,410

$813 €701

200.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K A$46.1K

$13.9K €12.0K

137.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 A$115

$121 €105

-32.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.4

$45.76 €39.49

10.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 A$176

$112 €97.0

12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 A$193

$148 €128

-6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 A$2,475

$953 €822

86.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 A$1,992

$824 €711

73.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 A$4,889

$2,282 €1,969

53.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 A$3,512

$1,830 €1,579

37.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,411 A$10.3K

$10.5K €9,101

-29.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,718 A$9,375

$8,069 €6,962

-16.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,478 A$6,249

$2,337 €2,017

91.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

3.7

58.11%

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

Last update for Melbourne: August 30, 2026

Last update for Biarritz: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,774 in Melbourne and $953 in Biarritz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 92% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $83.0 in Biarritz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $393 per month, with Biarritz 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

Melbourne vs Biarritz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Biarritz differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,894 vs $2,181 including rent). Biarritz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 92% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,774 in Melbourne versus $953 in Biarritz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Biarritz – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,181 in Biarritz versus $2,894 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Biarritz but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Biarritz 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 Biarritz 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 Biarritz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.