Vancouver vs Melbourne Cost of Living
Vancouver (Canada) · Overall index 67.8 — Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3
Summary
- Overall, Melbourne is 4% cheaper than Vancouver.
- Rent in Melbourne is 10% cheaper than in Vancouver.
- Transport in Melbourne is 3% cheaper than in Vancouver.
| Item | Vancouver | Melbourne | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -10% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,238 | $2,062 | -8% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,452 | $1,117 | -23% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,668 | $3,536 | -4% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,620 | $2,437 | -7% |
| Groceries | -3% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.13 | $0.97 | -14% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.03 | $3.2 | +6% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.07 | $3.75 | -8% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.5 | $3.69 | +5% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12.4 | $10.3 | -17% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $11.4 | $10.3 | -10% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.3 | $15.1 | -1% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.33 | $4.14 | -4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.87 | $1.56 | -17% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.85 | $4.16 | +8% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.99 | $5.03 | +1% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.7 | $2.75 | +2% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.44 | $2.45 | 0% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.27 | $1.98 | -13% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.83 | $2.08 | +14% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $12.8 | $13.8 | +8% |
| Transport | -3% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.09 | $1.9 | -9% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $103 | $93 | -10% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.83 | $2.96 | +5% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.43 | $1.32 | -8% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.7 | $0.76 | +9% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $20,323 | $19,348 | -5% |
| Dining out | -2% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.3 | $17 | -7% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $96.1 | $92.3 | -4% |
| Fast food combo meal | $8.11 | $9.69 | +19% |
| Cappuccino | $4.64 | $4.01 | -14% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.84 | $1.91 | +4% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $6.06 | $5.35 | -12% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.37 | $6.13 | -4% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.63 | $1.8 | +10% |
| Telecom | +1% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $47.5 | $47.6 | 0% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $62.1 | $60.5 | -3% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.28 | $0.3 | +7% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.4 | $13.5 | +1% |
| Utilities & household | -1% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $156 | $155 | -1% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.19 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.27 | $4.24 | -1% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.21 | $1.3 | +7% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18 | $19.4 | +8% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $74.4 | $74.6 | 0% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.6 | $13.5 | -1% |
| Men's haircut | $25.1 | $24.3 | -3% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $22.4 | $18.5 | -17% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,656 | $1,717 | +4% |
3,340 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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