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: $2,420 in Melbourne versus $2,211 in Nice.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,592 in Melbourne versus $3,553 in Nice.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Melbourne versus $4,894 in Nice.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 9% more expensive than in Nice, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 81% above, Nice 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.36 A$27.71

$20.36 €17.79

-4.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 A$111

$92.5 €80.8

-16.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 A$14.10

$12.33 €10.78

-20.11%

Cappuccino

$3.73 A$5.33

$3.72 €3.25

0.27%

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

$2.62 A$3.75

$3.63 €3.17

-27.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.27

$2.68 €2.34

-14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.36 A$10.53

$7.87 €6.87

-6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.93

$6.93 €6.05

0.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.52 €1.33

-1.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.69

$1.96 €1.71

31.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.94 €1.69

20.62%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.95

$4.49 €3.92

8.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 A$12.49

$18.74 €16.37

-53.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.26

$15.88 €13.87

-41.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 A$20.88

$18.52 €16.18

-21.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.75

$3.24 €2.83

2.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.03

$2.01 €1.75

39.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$2.37 €2.07

26.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.70

$4.98 €4.35

-20.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.46 €2.15

8.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$1.97 €1.72

13.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$1.45 €1.27

51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.35

$0.74 €0.65

121.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.95 A$45.74

$13.41 €11.72

138.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.93

$8.31 €7.26

67.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.69

$2.27 €1.98

105.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.21

$2.83 €2.47

78.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 A$5.01

$2.03 €1.77

72.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 A$173

$49.03 €42.84

145.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$3.45 €3.02

3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$2.10 €1.84

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.50 A$39.37

$30.44 €26.59

-9.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.64

$2.10 €1.84

-45.24%

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

$29.2K A$41.8K

$37.4K €32.7K

-22.07%

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

$23.0K A$32.9K

$39.5K €34.5K

-41.87%

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

$154 A$220

$242 €211

-36.28%

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

$20.93 A$29.97

$24.96 €21.81

-16.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$73.7

$38.89 €33.98

32.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 A$70.0

$33.06 €28.89

47.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 A$23.25

$25.02 €21.86

-35.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 A$22.87

$16.38 €14.31

-2.50%

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

$1,765 A$2,527

$1,849 €1,615

-4.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.9K

$20.6K €18.0K

-5.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 A$96.0

$111 €97.0

-39.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.0

$47.82 €41.78

13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$114 €99.2

-6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$148

$193 €169

-46.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,255

$1,077 €941

46.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,726

$910 €795

32.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 A$4,354

$2,176 €1,901

39.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 A$2,895

$1,825 €1,594

10.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,077 A$10.1K

$7,384 €6,451

-4.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,420 A$9,192

$4,223 €3,689

52.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,398 A$6,297

$2,734 €2,389

60.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

3.77

64.19%

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

Last update for Melbourne: July 14, 2026

Last update for Nice: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Melbourne and $1,077 in Nice. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 61% 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: $77.0 in Melbourne vs $93.0 in Nice for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $374 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 9% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,211 including rent). Nice is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,575 in Melbourne versus $1,077 in Nice. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,765 in Melbourne versus $1,849 in Nice. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,211 in Nice versus $2,420 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 9% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.