Melbourne vs Brisbane Cost of Living
Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3 — Brisbane (Australia) · Overall index 63.5
Summary
- Overall, Brisbane is 3% cheaper than Melbourne.
- Utilities & household in Brisbane is 9% cheaper than in Melbourne.
- Groceries in Brisbane is 4% cheaper than in Melbourne.
| Item | Melbourne | Brisbane | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -2% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,062 | $1,790 | -13% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,117 | $1,190 | +7% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,536 | $3,744 | +6% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,437 | $2,353 | -3% |
| Groceries | -4% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $0.95 | -2% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.2 | $2.92 | -9% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.75 | $3.8 | +1% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.69 | $3.56 | -4% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $10.3 | $10.2 | -1% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $10.3 | $9.82 | -5% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.1 | $15.8 | +5% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.14 | $4.16 | 0% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.56 | $1.63 | +4% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.16 | $3.84 | -8% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.03 | $4.91 | -2% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.75 | $2.54 | -8% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.45 | $2.3 | -6% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.98 | $1.86 | -6% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.08 | $2 | -4% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.8 | $12.6 | -9% |
| Transport | +1% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.9 | $2.11 | +11% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $93 | $87.3 | -6% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.96 | $2.64 | -11% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.32 | $1.4 | +6% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.76 | $0.75 | -1% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $19,348 | $21,025 | +9% |
| Dining out | -1% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17 | $17.6 | +4% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $92.3 | $91.8 | -1% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.69 | $8.45 | -13% |
| Cappuccino | $4.01 | $4.38 | +9% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.91 | $1.8 | -6% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.35 | $5.69 | +6% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.13 | $6.69 | +9% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.8 | $1.53 | -15% |
| Telecom | -3% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $47.6 | $51.9 | +9% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $60.5 | $57.4 | -5% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.3 | $0.25 | -17% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.5 | $13.9 | +3% |
| Utilities & household | -9% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $155 | $124 | -20% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.17 | -11% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.24 | $3.4 | -20% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.3 | $1.1 | -15% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $19.4 | $18.4 | -5% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $74.6 | $70.2 | -6% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.5 | $11.1 | -18% |
| Men's haircut | $24.3 | $23.3 | -4% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $18.5 | $21.3 | +15% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,717 | $1,795 | +5% |
3,411 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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