Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bordeaux Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bordeaux

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,420 per month in Melbourne vs $2,096 in Bordeaux, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,592 per month in Melbourne vs $3,169 in Bordeaux, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,765 per month in Melbourne vs $4,242 in Bordeaux, rent included.

Melbourne costs about 15% more than Bordeaux, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Melbourne and Bordeaux sit above the global median – Melbourne by 81%, Bordeaux by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.71

$20.78 €18.15

-6.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$64.8 €56.6

19.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.10

$11.35 €9.92

-13.22%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.33

$3.82 €3.33

-2.36%

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

$2.62 A$3.75

$2.91 €2.55

-9.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$1.74 €1.52

31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.53

$8.02 €7.01

-8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.93

$7.13 €6.23

-2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.29 €1.13

16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$2.15 €1.88

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$3.00 €2.62

-22.00%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$5.17 €4.52

-6.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.49

$15.14 €13.23

-42.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$16.35 €14.28

-43.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.88

$22.63 €19.77

-35.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$3.48 €3.04

-4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$2.37 €2.07

18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$3.95 €3.45

-24.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$4.62 €4.04

-13.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.38 €2.08

12.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.93 €2.56

-23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.82 €1.59

20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$0.70 €0.61

134.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.74

$13.35 €11.66

139.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.93

$10.06 €8.79

38.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$4.27 €3.73

9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.21

$4.45 €3.88

13.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.01

$2.13 €1.86

64.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$45.73 €39.96

163.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$4.62 €4.04

-22.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.67 €1.46

-16.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.37

$47.78 €41.75

-42.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$2.07 €1.81

-44.44%

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

$29.2K A$41.8K

$37.5K €32.8K

-22.17%

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

$23.0K A$32.9K

$35.9K €31.3K

-36.02%

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

$154 A$220

$255 €223

-39.73%

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

$20.93 A$29.97

$24.67 €21.55

-15.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$32.61 €28.49

57.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$37.78 €33.01

29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.25

$28.49 €24.89

-43.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.87

$14.00 €12.23

14.07%

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

$1,765 A$2,527

$852 €745

107.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.9K

$9,305 €8,130

109.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.0

$108 €94.7

-38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$44.79 €39.13

21.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$95.4 €83.3

10.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$148

$147 €128

-29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,255

$882 €770

78.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,726

$713 €623

69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,354

$1,585 €1,385

91.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,895

$1,196 €1,045

69.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$7,026 €6,139

0.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,192

$4,719 €4,123

36.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,297

$3,017 €2,636

45.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

3.79

63.32%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bordeaux: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in Melbourne versus $882 in Bordeaux. 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 46% 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 $77.0 in Melbourne versus $65.0 in Bordeaux. Groceries tell a different story – $353 in Melbourne vs $412 in Bordeaux – so Melbourne 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 Bordeaux: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 15% more than Bordeaux, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,630 per month in Melbourne and $3,144 in Bordeaux. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bordeaux, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 164% less in Bordeaux. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,765 per month in Melbourne and $852 in Bordeaux. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bordeaux, where all-in costs run around $2,096, than in Melbourne at $2,420. In Bordeaux it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bordeaux costs $2,096 versus $2,420 in Melbourne. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Bordeaux. 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.