Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Brookvale

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookvale: $2,565 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Brookvale
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Brookvale Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Brookvale

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,565

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Brookvale

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $2,565 in Brookvale.

Melbourne $2,849
Brookvale $2,565

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $3,679 in Brookvale.

Melbourne $4,274
Brookvale $3,679

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $4,794 in Brookvale.

Melbourne $5,699
Brookvale $4,794

Living in Melbourne is roughly 11% more expensive than in Brookvale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 109% above, Brookvale 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$17.79 A$25.41

-1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$89.0 A$127

-5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.38

$10.41 A$14.87

16.91%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.82

$4.04 A$5.77

0.74%

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

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.92 A$4.18

8.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.57

$2.27 A$3.24

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.67

$8.23 A$11.76

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.78

$7.32 A$10.45

12.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.58 A$2.25

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.24

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.83

$2.38 A$3.40

12.61%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.79

$5.16 A$7.36

5.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.30

$11.84 A$16.91

-9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.35

$9.56 A$13.65

5.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.42

$15.61 A$22.30

-3.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$3.94 A$5.62

3.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.48

$3.17 A$4.52

-0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.45

$3.38 A$4.82

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.76

$5.13 A$7.33

-7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$3.22 A$4.60

-7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.56

$2.87 A$4.10

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.32 A$3.32

6.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.28

$1.40 A$2.00

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.8

$44.39 A$63.4

0.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.11

$14.25 A$20.35

-11.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.92

$4.02 A$5.74

38.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.40

$4.05 A$5.78

27.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.48

$3.11 A$4.44

23.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$87.3 A$125

58.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.22

$3.49 A$4.99

24.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.59 A$2.28

-13.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.45

$40.58 A$58.0

-26.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.38 A$1.98

7.97%

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

$29.1K A$41.5K

$28.1K A$40.2K

3.36%

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

$25.7K A$36.7K

$26.6K A$38.0K

-3.42%

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

$236 A$337

$183 A$262

28.48%

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

$28.01 A$40.01

$27.11 A$38.71

3.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.7

$56.5 A$80.7

1.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$69.1

$57.6 A$82.3

-16.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.65

$15.86 A$22.65

35.31%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.23

$15.87 A$22.66

11.34%

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

$2,461 A$3,515

$2,397 A$3,423

2.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.4K

$20.4K A$29.2K

45.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$116

$76.3 A$109

6.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.4

$57.7 A$82.3

-14.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$171

$107 A$153

11.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$127 A$181

3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,432

$990 A$1,414

72.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,012

$1,251 A$1,787

12.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,992

$2,216 A$3,165

57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,608

$1,793 A$2,560

40.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.4K

$5,889 A$8,410

35.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,854

$4,963 A$7,087

39.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,079

$1,423 A$2,033

199.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.92

-0.34%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brookvale: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Brookvale

$1.3K 48.8% 11.2% $157

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Brookvale

$382 14.9% 1.2% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Brookvale

$267 10.4% 16.8% $54

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Brookvale

$299 11.6% 4.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Brookvale

$165 6.5% 3.5% $6

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Brookvale

$111 4.3% 32.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Brookvale

$89 3.5% 6.7% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $990 in Brookvale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $89 in Brookvale. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $382, with Brookvale cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Brookvale

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

3,127

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Brookvale 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Brookvale

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 Brookvale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,565 in Brookvale, so Brookvale is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Melbourne is about 3 times higher, 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $990 in Brookvale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Brookvale runs roughly 37% less than in Melbourne. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,849 per month in Melbourne versus $2,565 in Brookvale – Brookvale is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Brookvale are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Brookvale wins on affordability, Melbourne on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.