Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Melbourne 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Melbourne is 7.3% higher than in Brisbane (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Melbourne is 5.9% higher than in Brisbane | |
| Rent Prices in Melbourne are 3.0% higher than in Brisbane | |
| Restaurant Prices in Melbourne are 3.4% higher than in Brisbane | |
| Groceries Prices in Melbourne are 3.8% higher than in Brisbane | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Melbourne is 0.7% higher than in Brisbane | |
Restaurants | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 A$ | 26.50 A$ | +6.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 109.00 A$ | 120.00 A$ | +10.1 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.50 A$ | 15.00 A$ | -3.2 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 12.00 A$ | 11.75 A$ | -2.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 A$ | 11.00 A$ | -8.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.65 A$ | 5.48 A$ | -3.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.22 A$ | 3.88 A$ | -8.0 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.38 A$ | 3.54 A$ | +4.9 % |
Markets | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.97 A$ | 8.38 A$ | -6.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.17 A$ | 3.55 A$ | +12.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.27 A$ | 1.61 A$ | +27.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.72 A$ | 7.27 A$ | +8.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 5.72 A$ | 6.30 A$ | +10.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.85 A$ | 6.35 A$ | +8.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.68 A$ | 9.96 A$ | +2.9 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.22 A$ | 2.25 A$ | +1.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.94 A$ | 1.99 A$ | +2.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.02 A$ | 2.01 A$ | -0.4 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.83 A$ | 2.73 A$ | -3.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.70 A$ | 1.84 A$ | +8.4 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.53 A$ | 1.59 A$ | +4.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.29 A$ | 3.33 A$ | +1.3 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 1.85 A$ | 2.11 A$ | +14.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 20.00 A$ | 20.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.65 A$ | 6.91 A$ | +3.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 6.17 A$ | 7.98 A$ | +29.2 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 50.00 A$ | 50.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
Transportation | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 0.50 A$ | 5.50 A$ | +1,000.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 40.00 A$ | 183.75 A$ | +359.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 3.50 A$ | 6.35 A$ | +81.4 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.02 A$ | 3.55 A$ | -11.8 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 51.60 A$ | 41.64 A$ | -19.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.20 A$ | 6.93 A$ | -3.6 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 43,211.50 A$ | 44,423.00 A$ | +2.8 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 34,173.44 A$ | 35,337.35 A$ | +3.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 218.72 A$ | 239.99 A$ | +9.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 38.86 A$ | 33.28 A$ | -14.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 81.82 A$ | 79.19 A$ | -3.2 % |
Sports And Leisure | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 79.08 A$ | 77.44 A$ | -2.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 27.00 A$ | 23.44 A$ | -13.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 20.00 A$ | 25.00 A$ | +25.0 % |
Childcare | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,426.38 A$ | 2,690.52 A$ | +10.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 12,887.60 A$ | 29,755.88 A$ | +130.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 109.64 A$ | 109.46 A$ | -0.2 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 64.80 A$ | 84.41 A$ | +30.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 150.21 A$ | 167.79 A$ | +11.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 153.67 A$ | 167.50 A$ | +9.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,486.64 A$ | 2,396.05 A$ | -3.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,901.74 A$ | 1,870.35 A$ | -1.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,026.00 A$ | 4,661.50 A$ | +15.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,925.60 A$ | 2,748.16 A$ | -6.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,248.01 A$ | 1,002.33 A$ | -19.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 823.73 A$ | 808.77 A$ | -1.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | Brisbane Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,878.92 A$ | 6,269.86 A$ | +6.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.28 | 6.24 | -0.6 % |
| Last update: | 19 May 2025 | 17 May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 260 | 375 |
Moving to Brisbane? Explore:
Moving to Melbourne? Explore:
Cities near Brisbane: | Cost of Living in Redcliffe | 22.39 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ipswich | 24.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Redland City (Redlands) | 25.48 miles |
| Cost of Living in Jimboomba | 30.76 miles |
| Cost of Living in Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) | 47.86 miles |
| Cost of Living in Gold Coast | 51.08 miles |
| Cost of Living in Buderim | 59.03 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tweed Heads | 64.47 miles |
| Cost of Living in Maroochydore | 64.52 miles |
| Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast | 64.64 miles |
Cities near Melbourne: | Cost of Living in Ballarat | 71.73 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wangaratta | 149.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Albury | 195.47 miles |