Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Nice Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Nice

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,894 in Melbourne versus $2,356 in Nice.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,377 in Melbourne versus $3,758 in Nice.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,860 in Melbourne versus $5,161 in Nice.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 23% more expensive than in Nice, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Nice 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 A$25.05

$20.71 €17.87

-13.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$118

$91.9 €79.3

-7.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.26 A$17.10

$13.89 €11.98

-11.74%

Cappuccino

$4.22 A$5.90

$3.80 €3.28

11.05%

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

$3.16 A$4.40

$3.86 €3.33

-18.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 A$3.72

$2.54 €2.20

4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.98 A$13.93

$8.21 €7.09

21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 A$12.32

$8.10 €6.99

9.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.30

$1.77 €1.53

-6.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 A$4.75

$2.36 €2.04

44.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.89

$2.70 €2.33

3.33%

Eggs

$5.69 A$7.94

$4.84 €4.18

17.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 A$15.77

$21.85 €18.86

-48.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 A$13.49

$17.35 €14.97

-44.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 A$22.02

$24.37 €21.03

-35.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 A$5.85

$4.51 €3.89

-7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$2.49 €2.15

21.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.57

$3.18 €2.75

2.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.72

$4.09 €3.53

17.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.55

$2.93 €2.53

11.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.63

$2.75 €2.37

-5.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 A$3.51

$1.79 €1.55

40.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.29

$0.84 €0.73

95.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.11 A$64.3

$13.85 €11.95

232.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 A$16.83

$9.05 €7.81

33.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.65

$3.75 €3.24

46.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 A$7.19

$4.14 €3.57

24.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 A$5.34

$2.01 €1.74

90.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 A$202

$53.0 €45.72

172.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 A$6.02

$3.40 €2.94

26.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.05

$2.47 €2.13

-40.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 A$43.29

$30.25 €26.10

2.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.04

$2.24 €1.93

-34.82%

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

$29.5K A$41.2K

$36.5K €31.5K

-19.04%

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

$27.7K A$38.7K

$36.5K €31.5K

-24.12%

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

$242 A$338

$244 €211

-0.82%

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

$28.20 A$39.35

$17.20 €14.84

63.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$79.8

$34.80 €30.03

64.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.2 A$78.4

$33.52 €28.93

67.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.71 A$30.29

$36.45 €31.45

-40.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.96

$16.06 €13.86

11.39%

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

$2,443 A$3,410

$1,585 €1,367

54.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.0K A$46.1K

$17.7K €15.3K

86.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 A$115

$116 €100

-29.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.4

$52.3 €45.16

-3.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 A$176

$111 €95.9

13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 A$193

$197 €170

-29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,774 A$2,475

$1,147 €990

54.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 A$1,992

$885 €763

61.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 A$4,889

$2,083 €1,797

68.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 A$3,512

$1,749 €1,509

43.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,411 A$10.3K

$7,577 €6,538

-2.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,718 A$9,375

$4,280 €3,693

56.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,478 A$6,249

$2,698 €2,328

65.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

3.9

50.00%

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

Last update for Melbourne: August 30, 2026

Last update for Nice: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,774 in Melbourne and $1,147 in Nice. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 66% 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $92.0 in Nice for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $444 per month, with Melbourne 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 Nice: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Nice differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,894 vs $2,356 including rent). Nice is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,774 in Melbourne versus $1,147 in Nice. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,443 in Melbourne versus $1,585 in Nice. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,356 in Nice versus $2,894 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Nice but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Nice 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 Nice 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 Nice gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.