Brisbane is cheaper to rent in. Melbourne and Brisbane compared on the measures we can hold level across states: rent, household income, house prices where open data exists, parks and cafés. Medians are taken over each city's scored suburbs, from official data and OpenStreetMap.
By Formada3D research · Updated 10 October 2026
| Measure | Melbourne | Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| Median suburb rent (per week) | $408 | $400 |
| Median household income (per week, 2021 census) | $2,044 | $2,049 |
| Rent as a share of household income | 20% | 20% |
| Median house price (median suburb) | $1,295,500 | $1,260,000 |
| Median age | 38 | 37 |
| Park hectares per 1,000 residents (median suburb) | 2.8 | 5.4 |
| Cafés per 1,000 residents (median suburb) | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Suburbs scored | 216 | 277 |
Brisbane is cheaper to rent in. The median Brisbane suburb rents for $400/wk against $408/wk in Melbourne, about 2% less. Brisbane is where households earn more ($2,049/wk against $2,044/wk in Melbourne). Measured against local household income, rent takes about 20% in Melbourne and 20% in Brisbane.
The median house price in the median Brisbane suburb is $1,260,000, against $1,295,500 in Melbourne. Periods differ by state: Melbourne is Oct–Dec 2025 (Victorian Property Sales Report), Brisbane is Apr 2025–Mar 2026 (Queensland Regional Profiles (QGSO)), so treat the gap as indicative, not exact.
Brisbane is greener per resident (5.4 ha per 1,000 against 2.8 ha per 1,000 in Melbourne). Melbourne is ahead on cafés (0.6 per 1,000 against 0.4 per 1,000 in Brisbane).
We do not rank Melbourne against Brisbane on safety. Crime is recorded by different state agencies with different definitions, so a cross-state comparison would mislead. What we can do is rank suburbs within each city: see the safest suburbs in Melbourne and Brisbane.
Within each city the answer depends on what you weight. Top family suburbs: Melbourne: Eltham North, Montmorency, Macleod; Brisbane: Ferny Grove, Corinda, Kenmore. Best value: Melbourne: Yallambie, Attwood, Diamond Creek; Brisbane: Brookfield, Bardon, Ashgrove.
Medians are of suburb-level figures (a median suburb, not a pooled city total). Guidance only, visit before you move. No city, agent or developer can pay for placement here. Sources and method: how we rank suburbs.