Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Carlton Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Carlton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,435 in Melbourne versus $2,121 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,676 in Melbourne versus $3,085 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,918 in Melbourne versus $4,048 in Carlton.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 15% more expensive than in Carlton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 83% above, Carlton 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 A$27.65

$19.39 A$27.51

0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 A$110

$64.7 A$91.9

19.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 A$13.96

$9.52 A$13.51

3.36%

Cappuccino

$3.69 A$5.23

$2.83 A$4.02

30.39%

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

$2.54 A$3.60

$2.37 A$3.36

7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.33

$1.99 A$2.83

17.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.45

$6.21 A$8.81

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.07

$6.19 A$8.79

14.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.13

$1.10 A$1.57

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.65

$1.70 A$2.41

51.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.32

$1.62 A$2.29

44.44%

Eggs

$4.73 A$6.71

$2.99 A$4.24

58.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 A$12.83

$9.09 A$12.90

-0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.94

$9.35 A$13.27

-2.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.55 A$20.65

$14.44 A$20.49

0.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.63

$3.20 A$4.55

2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.55 A$3.62

10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.12

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$4.11 A$5.83

-1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.91

$2.24 A$3.18

22.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.01 A$2.85

16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.01

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.35

$1.33 A$1.89

24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.11 A$46.98

$29.15 A$41.36

13.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 A$19.47

$10.65 A$15.11

28.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 A$6.68

$4.61 A$6.54

2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 A$7.14

$5.22 A$7.41

-3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 A$5.04

$2.98 A$4.23

19.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$172

$51.1 A$72.5

137.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 A$5.13

$3.52 A$5.00

2.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.37 A$1.95

-2.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.98 A$38.29

$24.90 A$35.33

8.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$23.3K A$33.1K

24.75%

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

$23.0K A$32.6K

$12.9K A$18.3K

78.07%

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

$151 A$214

$74.2 A$105

103.36%

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

$21.41 A$30.38

$21.33 A$30.27

0.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$72.9

$43.62 A$61.9

17.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.75 A$70.6

$46.22 A$65.6

7.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.05 A$22.77

$18.02 A$25.56

-10.93%

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 A$23.21

$11.93 A$16.93

37.13%

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

$1,733 A$2,459

$1,177 A$1,670

47.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K A$26.9K

$11.5K A$16.3K

65.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 A$98.3

$69.2 A$98.1

0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 A$76.5

$52.4 A$74.4

2.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$151

$77.3 A$110

37.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$147

$103 A$146

1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 A$2,187

$1,300 A$1,845

18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 A$1,693

$1,147 A$1,628

4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,997 A$4,252

$1,943 A$2,756

54.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 A$2,834

$1,599 A$2,269

24.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,244 A$10.3K

$6,052 A$8,587

19.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,339 A$8,995

$5,426 A$7,699

16.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,354 A$6,178

$5,828 A$8,269

-25.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 27, 2026

Last update for Carlton: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,541 in Melbourne and $1,300 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Melbourne vs $65.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $317 per month, with Carlton cheaper across the board.

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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Carlton differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,435 vs $2,121 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Carlton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,541 in Melbourne versus $1,300 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,733 in Melbourne versus $1,177 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,121 in Carlton versus $2,435 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Carlton 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.