Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Canberra

For one person, living costs are similar in Melbourne and in Canberra: $2,849 and $2,886 a month, rent and utilities included.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Canberra

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

A single person spends $2,849 per month in Melbourne vs $2,886 in Canberra, rent included.

Melbourne $2,849
Canberra $2,886

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Melbourne vs $4,020 in Canberra, rent included.

Melbourne $4,274
Canberra $4,020

A family of three spends $5,699 per month in Melbourne vs $5,153 in Canberra, rent included.

Melbourne $5,699
Canberra $5,153

Melbourne is about 1% cheaper than Canberra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Melbourne and Canberra sit above the global median – Melbourne by 109%, Canberra by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$20.77 A$29.51

-15.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$89.8 A$128

-6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.29

$10.43 A$14.82

16.68%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.99 A$5.66

2.01%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$3.12 A$4.43

1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.64 A$3.75

-5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.60

$8.32 A$11.82

15.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.72

$10.11 A$14.36

-18.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.49 A$2.12

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$3.14 A$4.47

-5.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.81

$2.53 A$3.59

5.93%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.75

$5.32 A$7.56

2.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.22

$13.15 A$18.68

-18.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.28

$9.98 A$14.18

0.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.31

$15.08 A$21.43

-0.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.78

$4.03 A$5.72

0.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$3.17 A$4.50

-0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.54 A$5.03

-11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.72

$5.13 A$7.29

-7.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.23

$3.22 A$4.57

-7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.83 A$4.02

-12.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.48 A$3.52

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.40 A$2.00

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.4

$44.06 A$62.6

1.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.02

$14.26 A$20.26

-11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.88

$4.81 A$6.84

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$5.68 A$8.07

-8.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.45

$2.53 A$3.60

51.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$94.8 A$135

46.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$3.99 A$5.67

9.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.65 A$2.35

-16.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.23

$42.56 A$60.5

-30.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.33 A$1.89

12.03%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$28.0K A$39.8K

3.95%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$26.3K A$37.4K

-2.37%

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

$236 A$335

$184 A$262

27.90%

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

$28.01 A$39.80

$26.57 A$37.75

5.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.3

$55.9 A$79.5

2.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$79.4 A$113

-39.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.50

$27.81 A$39.52

-22.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.10

$16.02 A$22.76

10.30%

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

$2,461 A$3,497

$2,460 A$3,496

0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$20.6K A$29.3K

44.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$76.1 A$108

6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.0

$57.4 A$81.6

-14.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$107 A$153

11.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$133 A$189

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,419

$1,749 A$2,485

-2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,002

$1,495 A$2,125

-5.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,967

$3,065 A$4,355

14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,590

$1,978 A$2,811

27.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$11.1K A$15.8K

-28.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,805

$7,790 A$11.1K

-11.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,049

$4,317 A$6,134

-1.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.95

-0.84%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 26, 2026

Last update for Canberra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8% 6.1% $87

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Canberra

$397 13.8% 2.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Canberra

$267 9.2% 16.9% $54

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Canberra

$330 11.4% 5.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Canberra

$168 5.8% 1.9% $3.3

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Canberra

$117 4.1% 29.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Canberra

$111 3.9% 33.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,749 in Canberra. 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 $84 in Melbourne versus $90 in Canberra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $386 vs $397 – making Melbourne the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇦🇺 Canberra

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

Same time as Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

466,566 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Melbourne Canberra 460 km

From you

Melbourne
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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 Canberra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne, $2,886 in Canberra – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,273 per month in Melbourne and $4,329 in Canberra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,749 in Canberra. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,849 in Melbourne and $2,886 in Canberra. That’s a gap of about 1%.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Canberra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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.