Melbourne • Reality Check

Can You Afford Brunswick?

Sydney Road's eclectic mix of Middle Eastern grocers, live music venues, and thrift stores.

🏠 $490/wk rent
☕ $4.8 flat white
🚊 $155/mo transport
$

Your Lifestyle

Daily Coffees
1/day
🍽️Dining Out
2x/wk
🚗Uber / Rideshare
2x/wk
🛍️Shopping / Thrifting
$100/mo
🎉Weekend Activities
Moderate
📺Streaming Services
3 subs

Your Survival Score

🤙0

Thriving

Monthly Breakdown

🏠Rent$2,122
🛒Groceries$312
🚊Transport$155
Coffee$144
🍽️Dining Out$364
🚗Rideshare$156
🛍️Shopping$100
🎉Weekend Fun$240
📺Streaming$45
Take-home pay$4,451
Total expenses-$3,638
Savings+$813

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Living in Brunswick, Melbourne

Sydney Road's eclectic mix of Middle Eastern grocers, live music venues, and thrift stores. If you're weighing a move to Brunswick, the numbers matter more than the vibes. The median weekly rent here is $490, which annualises to roughly $25,480 per year. Using the 30% rent-to-income guideline, you'd want an annual gross salary around $85,000 to live in Brunswick without housing eating your paycheck.

Day-to-day costs in Brunswick are expensive for entertainment and in line with the national average for groceries. A monthly public transport pass runs about $155, and a flat white at a local café costs roughly $4.80 — which adds up to $1,752 per year if you're on a one-a-day habit.

What does Brunswick cost per month?

Rough monthly budget for a single renter on a median-income job, before lifestyle upgrades:

  • Rent (Brunswick median)$2,122
  • Groceries (est.)$416
  • Transport pass$155
  • Coffee (1/day)$144
  • Entertainment (est.)$240

Numbers are indicative only and exclude tax. Use the interactive calculator above to plug in your own salary and lifestyle.

FAQ — Brunswick

How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brunswick?

Using the standard 30% rent-to-income rule, a comfortable gross income for Brunswick is around $85,000 per year. At this salary, median rent of $490/wk takes up less than a third of your take-home pay, leaving room for savings, transport, and everything else Melbourne throws at you.

Is Brunswick more expensive than the rest of Melbourne?

Groceries in Brunswick track in line with the national average (index 1.04), and the entertainment scene is expensive (index 1.20). Median weekly rent of $490 places it within the Melbourne market — use the calculator to compare specific neighbourhoods head-to-head.

What's the average annual rent cost in Brunswick?

At a median weekly rent of $490, annual rent in Brunswick works out to approximately $25,480 per year for a typical unit. Actual costs vary significantly by property size, condition, and proximity to transport.