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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Average salary in Melbourne: $84,500/year — $5,846 above the Australia median. Cost index 124, purchasing power 68145/100. Compare incomes across Victoria below.
Average salary in Melbourne: $84,500/year — $5,846 above the Australia median. Cost index 124, purchasing power 68145/100. Compare incomes across Victoria below.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 124 | $2,750 | $84,500 |
| 2 | Canberra | 120 | $2,750 | $101,000 |
| 3 | Sydney | 132 | $3,200 | $90,000 |
| 4 | Perth | 118 | $2,650 | $87,000 |
| 5 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 6 | Darwin | 116 | $2,350 | $80,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 110 | $2,250 | $76,000 |
| 8 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
| 9 | Geelong | 107 | $2,050 | $72,000 |
| 10 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 |
| 11 | Adelaide | 104 | $2,100 | $72,000 |
| 12 | Hobart | 100 | $1,920 | $68,000 |
| 13 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 |
Melbourne: cost index 124 (+11 vs national avg 113), rent $2,750/month.
Victoria region average cost index: 113. Melbourne is +11 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 64, healthcare 84, walkability 80.
Safety score: 64/100 (crime rate 48.2/1k). National average: 66/100.
Here's the surprising part: Melbourne has a cost index of 124 — 11 points above the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $84,500 with rent at $2,750/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 39%. Financially, that's significant.
Here's where it gets complicated: looking at Victoria as a whole, the spread across all 13 cities is 24 points on the cost index. Cairns sits at the other end with index 100 and rent of $1,820/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Melbourne scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (64), healthcare (84), and walkability (80) metrics. But here's the flip side: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Melbourne — cost index 124, rent $2,750/mo, income $84,500, QoL 62/100.
Canberra — cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000, QoL 67/100.
Sydney — cost index 132, rent $3,200/mo, income $90,000, QoL 62/100.
Perth — cost index 118, rent $2,650/mo, income $87,000, QoL 63/100.
Brisbane — cost index 112, rent $2,550/mo, income $80,000, QoL 62/100.
The median gross income in Melbourne is $84,500/year — above the Australia national average of $78,654.
The Victoria region of average QoL score is 63/100. Melbourne leads with 62/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ABS, CoreLogic, ATO.
Melbourne: cost index 124, rent $2,750/mo, income $84,500/yr, QoL 62/100. Canberra: cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000/yr, QoL 67/100.
This analysis uses data from ABS, CoreLogic, ATO to rank cities in Australia. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.