Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Brighton Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Brighton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Melbourne versus $2,937 in Brighton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Melbourne versus $4,342 in Brighton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,742 in Melbourne versus $5,748 in Brighton.

Living in Melbourne costs roughly 18% less than in Brighton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Brighton 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 A$27.52

$20.14 £14.97

-1.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 A$110

$96.7 £71.9

-18.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.52

$9.66 £7.18

0.41%

Cappuccino

$3.66 A$5.11

$4.55 £3.38

-19.56%

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

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.12 £1.57

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.26

$1.63 £1.21

43.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.00

$8.59 £6.38

-16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.73

$6.68 £4.96

4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.02

$1.85 £1.38

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.09 £1.55

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.26

$2.12 £1.58

10.38%

Eggs

$4.80 A$6.69

$5.06 £3.76

-5.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 A$12.21

$11.97 £8.89

-26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.15

$8.98 £6.68

5.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 A$20.09

$17.90 £13.31

-19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.64

$3.26 £2.42

2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.87

$2.01 £1.50

37.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.18

$3.21 £2.38

-6.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.50

$3.37 £2.50

17.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$2.29 £1.70

17.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.28

$2.04 £1.52

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$1.12 £0.84

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.27

$1.45 £1.08

12.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.44 A$45.21

$21.41 £15.92

51.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.66

$11.17 £8.30

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.64 A$6.47

$2.79 £2.08

66.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.02

$2.59 £1.92

94.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 A$4.87

$3.32 £2.47

5.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$167

$129 £95.7

-6.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.88

$4.53 £3.37

-22.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.87

$2.20 £1.63

-38.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 A$37.55

$41.41 £30.78

-34.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.97 £1.46

-39.59%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$37.8K £28.1K

-22.08%

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

$23.6K A$32.9K

$42.0K £31.2K

-43.83%

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

$150 A$209

$290 £216

-48.30%

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

$21.16 A$29.49

$18.36 £13.65

15.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.3 A$70.1

$40.81 £30.34

23.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.14 A$68.5

$53.9 £40.09

-8.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.37 A$22.82

$18.80 £13.97

-12.93%

Cinema Ticket

$16.43 A$22.90

$17.52 £13.02

-6.22%

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

$1,764 A$2,458

$1,783 £1,325

-1.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$19.1K £14.2K

0.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 A$95.2

$92.5 £68.8

-26.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.3

$42.92 £31.90

24.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$148

$108 £80.5

-1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$146

$79.1 £58.8

32.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 A$2,191

$1,828 £1,359

-13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 A$1,665

$1,564 £1,162

-23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 A$4,247

$3,247 £2,413

-6.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 A$2,772

$2,608 £1,939

-23.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,387 A$10.3K

$8,819 £6,555

-16.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,095

$6,240 £4,638

4.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,512 A$6,288

$3,476 £2,583

29.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

5.63

9.95%

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

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Last update for Brighton: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Melbourne and $1,828 in Brighton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $97.0 in Brighton. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $335, with Brighton cheaper for home cooking.

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 Brighton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Brighton differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,416 vs $2,937 including rent). Melbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 30% more on average, 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: $1,572 in Melbourne versus $1,828 in Brighton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,764 in Melbourne versus $1,783 in Brighton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Brighton pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Brighton 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Brighton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.