Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Melbourne 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Melbourne is 86.4% higher than in Cape Town (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Melbourne is 88.9% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Rent Prices in Melbourne are 94.8% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Restaurant Prices in Melbourne are 75.8% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Groceries Prices in Melbourne are 140.8% higher than in Cape Town | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Melbourne is 54.2% higher than in Cape Town | |
Restaurants | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant |
R200.00 (A$16.80) |
R297.67 (A$25.00) |
+48.8 % |
| Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) |
R800.00 (A$67.19) |
R1,428.83 (A$120.00) |
+78.6 % |
| Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) |
R100.00 (A$8.40) |
R190.51 (A$16.00) |
+90.5 % |
| Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) |
R50.00 (A$4.20) |
R154.79 (A$13.00) |
+209.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
R60.00 (A$5.04) |
R130.98 (A$11.00) |
+118.3 % |
| Cappuccino (Regular Size) |
R40.33 (A$3.39) |
R66.11 (A$5.55) |
+63.9 % |
| Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) |
R24.21 (A$2.03) |
R51.75 (A$4.35) |
+113.8 % |
| Bottled Water (12 oz) |
R18.21 (A$1.53) |
R41.87 (A$3.52) |
+129.9 % |
Markets | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) |
R22.44 (A$1.88) |
R31.03 (A$2.61) |
+38.3 % |
| Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) |
R17.86 (A$1.50) |
R47.32 (A$3.97) |
+164.9 % |
| White Rice (1 lb) |
R17.10 (A$1.44) |
R18.76 (A$1.58) |
+9.7 % |
| Eggs (12, Large Size) |
R47.65 (A$4.00) |
R101.03 (A$8.49) |
+112.1 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
R63.55 (A$5.34) |
R84.47 (A$7.09) |
+32.9 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
R45.09 (A$3.79) |
R73.47 (A$6.17) |
+63.0 % |
| Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) |
R61.69 (A$5.18) |
R118.50 (A$9.95) |
+92.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
R13.70 (A$1.15) |
R31.42 (A$2.64) |
+129.3 % |
| Bananas (1 lb) |
R14.56 (A$1.22) |
R24.46 (A$2.05) |
+68.0 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
R13.51 (A$1.13) |
R24.60 (A$2.07) |
+82.2 % |
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
R15.25 (A$1.28) |
R36.21 (A$3.04) |
+137.4 % |
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
R12.26 (A$1.03) |
R24.12 (A$2.03) |
+96.7 % |
| Onions (1 lb) |
R10.86 (A$0.91) |
R21.12 (A$1.77) |
+94.5 % |
| Lettuce (1 Head) |
R20.39 (A$1.71) |
R41.53 (A$3.49) |
+103.7 % |
| Bottled Water (50 oz) |
R19.20 (A$1.61) |
R30.83 (A$2.59) |
+60.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
R104.99 (A$8.82) |
R238.14 (A$20.00) |
+126.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) |
R24.26 (A$2.04) |
R89.82 (A$7.54) |
+270.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) |
R37.76 (A$3.17) |
R89.81 (A$7.54) |
+137.8 % |
| Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) |
R55.00 (A$4.62) |
R631.07 (A$53.00) |
+1,047.4 % |
Transportation | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) |
R21.50 (A$1.81) |
R65.49 (A$5.50) |
+204.6 % |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) |
R995.00 (A$83.56) |
R2,357.57 (A$198.00) |
+136.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) |
R20.00 (A$1.68) |
R60.73 (A$5.10) |
+203.6 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) |
R39.43 (A$3.31) |
R38.32 (A$3.22) |
-2.8 % |
| Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) |
R82.50 (A$6.93) |
R515.81 (A$43.32) |
+525.2 % |
| Gasoline (1 Liter) |
R21.63 (A$1.82) |
R23.10 (A$1.94) |
+6.8 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) |
R589,000.00 (A$49,467.11) |
R482,170.01 (A$40,495.00) |
-18.1 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) |
R524,400.00 (A$44,041.68) |
R435,726.09 (A$36,594.41) |
-16.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) |
R2,149.68 (A$180.54) |
R3,889.59 (A$326.67) |
+80.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) |
R560.96 (A$47.11) |
R491.85 (A$41.31) |
-12.3 % |
| Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) |
R635.50 (A$53.37) |
R924.77 (A$77.67) |
+45.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Monthly Fitness Club Membership |
R848.10 (A$71.23) |
R880.23 (A$73.93) |
+3.8 % |
| Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) |
R169.23 (A$14.21) |
R337.36 (A$28.33) |
+99.4 % |
| Cinema Ticket (International Release) |
R145.00 (A$12.18) |
R261.95 (A$22.00) |
+80.7 % |
Childcare | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child |
R4,586.11 (A$385.16) |
R39,248.55 (A$3,296.29) |
+755.8 % |
| International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child |
R89,710.00 (A$7,534.29) |
R559,482.85 (A$46,988.11) |
+523.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) |
R969.57 (A$81.43) |
R1,291.51 (A$108.47) |
+33.2 % |
| Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) |
R614.71 (A$51.63) |
R882.30 (A$74.10) |
+43.5 % |
| Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
R2,060.00 (A$173.01) |
R2,071.80 (A$174.00) |
+0.6 % |
| Men's Leather Business Shoes |
R1,705.88 (A$143.27) |
R2,224.36 (A$186.81) |
+30.4 % |
Rent Per Month | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
R16,840.00 (A$1,414.31) |
R29,125.03 (A$2,446.06) |
+73.0 % |
| 1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
R10,607.50 (A$890.87) |
R21,996.69 (A$1,847.39) |
+107.4 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre |
R28,115.79 (A$2,361.30) |
R56,431.56 (A$4,739.40) |
+100.7 % |
| 3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre |
R20,356.25 (A$1,709.62) |
R40,310.36 (A$3,385.46) |
+98.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
R3,496.03 (A$293.61) |
R11,467.15 (A$963.07) |
+228.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
R2,242.25 (A$188.32) |
R10,058.58 (A$844.77) |
+348.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | Cape Town Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
R25,403.76 (A$2,133.53) |
R73,991.05 (A$6,214.13) |
+191.3 % |
| Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) | 11.27 | 5.61 | -50.2 % |
| Last update: | 4 May 2026 | 6 May 2026 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 116 | 243 | |
Moving to Cape Town? Explore:
Moving to Melbourne? Explore:
Cities near Cape Town: | Cost of Living in Durbanville | 18.43 miles |
| Cost of Living in Somerset West | 27.94 miles |
| Cost of Living in Paarl | 38.17 miles |
Cities near Melbourne: | Cost of Living in Doncaster | 11.49 miles |
| Cost of Living in Epping | 13.38 miles |
| Cost of Living in Dandenong | 21.97 miles |
| Cost of Living in Pakenham | 40.22 miles |
| Cost of Living in Ballarat | 71.73 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wangaratta | 149.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Albury | 195.47 miles |