Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Cranbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Cranbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,465 in Melbourne versus $2,182 in Cranbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,636 in Melbourne versus $3,158 in Cranbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,806 in Melbourne versus $4,134 in Cranbourne.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 13% more expensive than Cranbourne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 84% above, Cranbourne 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 A$26.88

$8.83 A$12.27

119.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 A$109

$76.5 A$106

2.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 A$13.94

$11.47 A$15.94

-12.55%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.04

$1.98 A$2.76

82.83%

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

$2.61 A$3.63

$3.11 A$4.33

-16.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.21

$1.60 A$2.22

44.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.43 A$10.32

$8.17 A$11.36

-9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.00

$7.04 A$9.79

2.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.03

$1.24 A$1.72

17.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.70

$2.33 A$3.24

14.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.22

$1.94 A$2.69

19.59%

Eggs

$4.68 A$6.51

$4.28 A$5.95

9.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 A$12.78

$8.72 A$12.12

5.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 A$13.01

$8.39 A$11.66

11.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 A$20.42

$13.44 A$18.68

9.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.46

$3.23 A$4.49

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.78 A$3.87

$2.80 A$3.90

-0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.11

$2.95 A$4.10

0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.69

$4.16 A$5.78

-1.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.76

$2.44 A$3.39

10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.26

$2.13 A$2.96

10.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.09 A$2.90

5.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 A$2.30

$0.53 A$0.73

213.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.79 A$45.58

$31.42 A$43.68

4.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 A$20.28

$23.22 A$32.27

-37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.56

$4.68 A$6.51

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 A$7.08

$5.33 A$7.41

-4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.61 A$5.02

$2.52 A$3.51

43.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 A$163

$65.6 A$91.2

79.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 A$5.11

$3.68 A$5.12

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.94

$1.56 A$2.16

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.58 A$38.34

$32.96 A$45.81

-16.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.65

$1.31 A$1.82

-9.16%

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

$29.3K A$40.7K

-0.03%

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

$23.7K A$32.9K

$22.1K A$30.7K

7.28%

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

$152 A$211

$183 A$254

-17.14%

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

$21.15 A$29.40

$27.83 A$38.68

-24.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.94 A$69.4

$52.6 A$73.1

-5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.19 A$68.4

$38.76 A$53.9

26.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 A$22.45

$15.78 A$21.93

2.34%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.22

$12.76 A$17.74

25.31%

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

$1,756 A$2,441

$1,600 A$2,225

9.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K A$26.7K

$11.8K A$16.4K

62.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 A$92.9

$68.2 A$94.8

-2.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 A$75.0

$49.90 A$69.4

8.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$147

$97.7 A$136

8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 A$143

$108 A$150

-4.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,568 A$2,180

$1,267 A$1,761

23.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 A$1,644

$1,085 A$1,508

8.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,038 A$4,223

$2,004 A$2,786

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,811

$1,648 A$2,291

22.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,557 A$10.5K

$5,595 A$7,778

35.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,527 A$9,073

$4,953 A$6,884

31.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,490 A$6,242

$1,814 A$2,521

147.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.34

-2.37%

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

Last update for Melbourne: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cranbourne: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,568 in Melbourne and $1,267 in Cranbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 148% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78.0 in Melbourne vs $77.0 in Cranbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $341 per month, with Cranbourne 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 Cranbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Cranbourne differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,465 vs $2,182 including rent). Cranbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Melbourne pays 148% 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: $1,568 in Melbourne versus $1,267 in Cranbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,756 in Melbourne versus $1,600 in Cranbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,182 in Cranbourne versus $2,465 in Melbourne, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cranbourne but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Cranbourne 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 Cranbourne 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 Cranbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.