Consumer price index · Melbourne vs Brisbane
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.
← Back to Brisbane cost of livingQuarterly release, sourced from the ABS Consumer Price Index.
Melbourne annual CPI
2.6%
▲ from 2.0% last quarter
Latest quarter
Brisbane annual CPI
4.7%
▲ from 2.5% last quarter
Latest quarter
Gap vs Brisbane
-2.1 pts
Melbourne lower
Headline CPI
National figure
3.2%
Above national
Weighted average, 8 capitals
Brisbane vs other capitals
Side-by-side CPI comparison against Brisbane, category by category.
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%
Melbourne BrisbaneTrack spans −10% to +10%; larger moves are clamped.
Headline CPI over time
Melbourne against Brisbane, annual change.
2023-Q32024-Q32025-Q3
Melbourne annual CPI moved from 4.9% in 2023-Q3 to 2.6% in 2025-Q3, against 4.7% nationally most recently.
Show 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% |
Looking for the full Brisbane picture? Brisbane cost of living has the category drill-down and the basket calculator.