Melbourne cost of living vs Brisbane
Melbourne has annual CPI of 2.6%, 2.1 points below Brisbane's 4.7%, against 3.2% nationally. The biggest gap is housing: +1.3% in Melbourne vs +13.2% in Brisbane.
Brisbane cost of livingQuarterly, from the ABS Consumer Price Index.
Where the two cities differ
Annual CPI change by category — Melbourne against Brisbane, most recent quarter, widest gaps first.
- Housing+1.3% · +13.2%
- Transport+0.9% · -0.7%
- Education+5.5% · +4.7%
- Alcohol and tobacco+6.4% · +6.9%
- Clothing and footwear+3.0% · +3.5%
- Recreation and culture+1.9% · +2.3%
- Insurance and financial services+3.6% · +3.2%
- Furnishings, household equipment and services+1.2% · +0.9%
- Health+3.8% · +4.0%
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages+3.1% · +3.3%
- Communication+1.9% · +1.8%
Every category, side by side
Annual CPI change for each ABS expenditure group, Melbourne against Brisbane, with the gap in percentage points.
| Category | Melbourne | Brisbane | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | +1.3% | +13.2% | −11.9 pts |
| Transport | +0.9% | -0.7% | +1.6 pts |
| Education | +5.5% | +4.7% | +0.8 pts |
| Alcohol and tobacco | +6.4% | +6.9% | −0.5 pts |
| Clothing and footwear | +3.0% | +3.5% | −0.5 pts |
| Recreation and culture | +1.9% | +2.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Insurance and financial services | +3.6% | +3.2% | +0.4 pts |
| Furnishings, household equipment and services | +1.2% | +0.9% | +0.3 pts |
| Health | +3.8% | +4.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | +3.1% | +3.3% | −0.2 pts |
| Communication | +1.9% | +1.8% | +0.1 pts |
Rent: Melbourne against Brisbane
ABS CPI · 2025-Q3The CPI rents index rose 3.7% over the year in Melbourne against 4.4% in Brisbane, slower by 0.7 points.
This is how quickly rents are rising, not what they cost. For current Brisbane rent levels by suburb, see Renting in Brisbane.
What the gap means on a household budget
ABS CPI · 2025-Q3Prices in Melbourne rose 2.6% over the year against 4.7% in Brisbane. On a household spending $1,500 a week, that 2.1-point gap is about $32 less a week ($1,638 a year) in price growth.
| Household spends | Difference a week | A year |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 a week | −$21 | −$1,092 |
| $1,500 a week | −$32 | −$1,638 |
| $2,000 a week | −$42 | −$2,184 |
CPI measures how fast prices are changing, not what things cost, so this compares price growth over the year, not the price of living in either city. The weekly amounts are illustrative budgets, not averages.
The headline rate over time
Melbourne annual CPI moved from 4.9% in 2023-Q3 to 2.6% in 2025-Q3, against 4.7% nationally most recently.
Show the data table
| Year | Melbourne | Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-Q3 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| 2023-Q4 | 3.8% | 4.2% |
| 2024-Q1 | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| 2024-Q2 | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| 2024-Q3 | 3.0% | 1.8% |
| 2024-Q4 | 2.5% | 1.8% |
| 2025-Q1 | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| 2025-Q2 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| 2025-Q3 | 2.6% | 4.7% |
Brisbane against other cities
The full side-by-side reads for Sydney and Melbourne, where most movers come from, plus a rent-only read against Queensland's other two big population centres. Every other capital has its own comparison on the Brisbane cost-of-living page.
- Sydney vs Brisbane
- Melbourne vs Brisbane
- Gold Coast vs BrisbaneRent only
- Sunshine Coast vs BrisbaneRent only
The full Brisbane picture
Brisbane cost of living has the full category drill-down and every capital-city overlay.