Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Bracknell

For one person, living is cheaper in Bracknell: $2,543 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,853
/mo nomad
Bracknell
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,543
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Bracknell

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 Bracknell actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,853 per month in Melbourne vs $2,543 in Bracknell, rent included.

  • Melbourne $2,853
  • Bracknell $2,543

A couple spends around $4,275 per month in Melbourne vs $3,950 in Bracknell, rent included.

  • Melbourne $4,275
  • Bracknell $3,950

A family of three spends $5,697 per month in Melbourne vs $5,357 in Bracknell, rent included.

  • Melbourne $5,697
  • Bracknell $5,357

Melbourne costs about 12% more than Bracknell, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Melbourne and Bracknell sit above the global median – Melbourne by 111%, Bracknell by 88%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.20 A$24.75
$21.40 £16.06
-19.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.1 A$120
$81.4 £61.1
2.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 A$17.88
$10.56 £7.92
17.71%
Cappuccino
$4.05 A$5.82
$4.72 £3.54
-14.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 A$4.50
$3.11 £2.33
0.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 A$3.54
$2.69 £2.02
-8.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.52 A$13.71
$7.83 £5.88
21.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.16 A$11.74
$5.23 £3.93
56.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 A$2.25
$1.43 £1.07
9.09%
White Bread (500g)
$2.90 A$4.18
$1.87 £1.40
55.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.66 A$3.82
$2.72 £2.04
-2.21%
Eggs
$5.37 A$7.72
$4.62 £3.47
16.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.67 A$15.36
$9.46 £7.10
12.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.85 A$14.17
$8.86 £6.64
11.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.36 A$22.11
$13.99 £10.49
9.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.17 A$6.00
$2.96 £2.22
40.88%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.53
$2.52 £1.89
25.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.26 A$4.69
$4.09 £3.07
-20.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.76 A$6.85
$4.18 £3.13
13.88%
Potato (1kg)
$3.06 A$4.41
$2.13 £1.60
43.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.47 A$3.55
$1.79 £1.34
37.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 A$3.52
$1.99 £1.49
23.12%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 A$2.34
$1.47 £1.10
10.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.17 A$65.0
$24.04 £18.04
87.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.68 A$18.25
$13.49 £10.12
-6.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.69 A$8.18
$3.41 £2.56
66.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.23 A$7.53
$3.30 £2.48
58.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.87 A$5.57
$2.61 £1.96
48.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$142 A$204
$127 £95.6
11.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.54 A$6.53
$6.83 £5.12
-33.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.42 A$2.04
$1.62 £1.21
-12.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.59 A$44.01
$13.36 £10.03
128.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 A$2.11
$2.10 £1.57
-30.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K A$41.5K
$39.0K £29.3K
-26.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K A$37.3K
$40.1K £30.1K
-35.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$235 A$338
$280 £210
-16.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.45 A$39.51
$20.85 £15.64
31.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.1 A$80.8
$46.42 £34.83
20.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.1 A$72.1
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.49 A$30.93
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.76 A$25.56
$17.51 £13.14
1.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,385 A$3,432
$1,208 £906
97.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.7K A$42.7K
$5,321 £3,992
457.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.2 A$114
$74.4 £55.8
6.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.49 A$71.2
$44.93 £33.71
10.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$118 A$170
$84.6 £63.5
39.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 A$190
$85.0 £63.8
55.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,763 A$2,537
$1,357 £1,018
29.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,411 A$2,031
$1,215 £911
16.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,522 A$5,069
$2,549 £1,912
38.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 A$3,634
$2,489 £1,867
1.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,136 A$10.3K
$7,728 £5,797
-7.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,355 A$9,144
$6,664 £4,999
-4.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Bracknell
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,258 A$6,128
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.51
7.08%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bracknell: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
$1.4K
Bracknell
$1.2K 13.9% $196
Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
$388
Bracknell
$330 15% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
$319
Bracknell
$347 9% $29
Eating Out
Melbourne
$310
Bracknell
$332 7.3% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
$171
Bracknell
$130 23.8% $41
Getting Around
Melbourne
$169
Bracknell
$153 9.7% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
$86
Bracknell
$35 * 59.1% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,763 in Melbourne versus $1,357 in Bracknell. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Melbourne versus $81.0 in Bracknell. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $330 – making Bracknell the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🇬🇧 Bracknell
🕒 Local time
07:03 7:03 AM
21:03 9:03 PM
10 h behind Melbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,031,195
52,696
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Melbourne Bracknell 16,950 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Melbourne
  • Bracknell

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 Bracknell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bracknell cheaper than Melbourne?
Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Melbourne and $3,814 in Bracknell. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bracknell, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Melbourne and in Bracknell?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,853 in Melbourne and $2,543 in Bracknell. That's a gap of about 12%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 11% less in Bracknell. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Melbourne or in Bracknell?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bracknell, where all-in costs run around $2,543, than in Melbourne at $2,853. In Bracknell it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Melbourne or Bracknell more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Bracknell – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Melbourne or Bracknell?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bracknell. 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.

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