Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,518 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Brisbane

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

A single person spends $2,853 per month in Melbourne vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Melbourne $2,853
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $4,275 per month in Melbourne vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Melbourne $4,275
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $5,697 per month in Melbourne vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Melbourne $5,697
Brisbane $4,922

Melbourne costs about 13% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Melbourne and Brisbane sit above the global median – Melbourne by 111%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$17.39 A$25.02

-1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$70.9 A$102

17.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$11.09 A$15.95

12.08%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$4.43 A$6.38

-8.58%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$2.90 A$4.17

7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.43 A$3.49

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$8.42 A$12.12

13.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$8.31 A$11.96

-1.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.67 A$2.40

-6.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$2.72 A$3.92

6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$2.29 A$3.29

16.16%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$4.82 A$6.94

11.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$9.06 A$13.03

17.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$9.18 A$13.21

7.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$14.21 A$20.45

8.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$4.31 A$6.20

-3.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$3.04 A$4.38

3.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$3.00 A$4.32

8.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$4.75 A$6.84

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$2.72 A$3.92

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$2.34 A$3.37

5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$2.42 A$3.48

1.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.19 A$1.71

36.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$38.67 A$55.7

16.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$12.66 A$18.21

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$5.40 A$7.77

5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$5.13 A$7.38

1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$0.37 A$0.53

945.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

$20.72 A$29.81

585.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$2.92 A$4.20

55.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$1.86 A$2.68

-23.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$41.05 A$59.1

-25.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.40 A$2.01

5.00%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

$29.7K A$42.8K

-2.97%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$26.0K A$37.4K

-0.19%

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

$235 A$338

$159 A$229

47.76%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$26.52 A$38.16

3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$60.6 A$87.2

-7.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$60.9 A$87.6

-17.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

$22.22 A$31.97

-3.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

$14.14 A$20.34

25.60%

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

$2,385 A$3,432

$1,952 A$2,808

22.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

$12.7K A$18.3K

133.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$83.3 A$120

-4.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

$43.69 A$62.9

13.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

$113 A$163

4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$111 A$160

19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$1,939 A$2,790

-9.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$1,322 A$1,902

6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$3,408 A$4,904

3.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$2,242 A$3,226

12.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

$8,271 A$11.9K

-13.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$5,920 A$8,518

7.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$4,183 A$6,020

1.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.81

1.55%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 6.3% $89

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 6.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 22.7% $72

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 1.3% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 7.4% $13

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 79.6% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 4.1% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,763 in Melbourne versus $1,939 in Brisbane. 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 2% 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 $83.0 in Melbourne versus $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $363 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

06:31 6:31 AM

05:31 5:31 AM

1 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Brisbane 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Brisbane

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 Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 13% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Melbourne and $3,777 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 7% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Melbourne and $71.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,853 in Melbourne and $2,518 in Brisbane. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – 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 Brisbane. 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.