Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany: $2,562 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $980 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,562

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany and in Brisbane

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Albany and in Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,562 in Albany versus $2,644 in Brisbane.

Albany $2,562
Brisbane $2,644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,690 in Albany versus $3,821 in Brisbane.

Albany $3,690
Brisbane $3,821

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,819 in Albany versus $4,999 in Brisbane.

Albany $4,819
Brisbane $4,999

Living in Albany costs roughly 3% less than in Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany 89% above, Brisbane 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 A$27.66

$17.81 A$25.50

8.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 A$123

$85.4 A$122

0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 A$14.77

$11.28 A$16.14

-8.51%

Cappuccino

$4.52 A$6.47

$4.45 A$6.37

1.57%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.60

$2.80 A$4.01

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.07

$2.45 A$3.51

-12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 A$11.92

$8.60 A$12.31

-3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 A$10.56

$8.36 A$11.97

-11.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.76 A$2.52

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.89

$2.57 A$3.67

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$2.18 A$3.13

6.42%

Eggs

$5.12 A$7.33

$4.95 A$7.08

3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 A$13.66

$9.58 A$13.71

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.48

$9.01 A$12.90

4.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 A$21.19

$14.00 A$20.04

5.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.86

$4.21 A$6.03

-2.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.31

$3.18 A$4.55

-5.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.68

$2.79 A$4.00

17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.77

$4.83 A$6.91

-2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.90

$2.80 A$4.01

-2.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.54

$2.36 A$3.37

4.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.16

$2.36 A$3.38

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.27

$1.19 A$1.70

32.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.10 A$60.3

$39.08 A$56.0

7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 A$21.60

$12.84 A$18.37

17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.67

$5.27 A$7.55

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.39 A$7.72

$4.91 A$7.03

9.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 A$4.01

$0.36 A$0.52

677.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.7 A$120

$21.39 A$30.61

291.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 A$4.92

$2.61 A$3.73

31.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.88 A$2.69

-15.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.57 A$58.1

$41.67 A$59.6

-2.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.80

$1.48 A$2.11

-14.86%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.0K A$41.5K

-0.04%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.2K A$37.5K

$25.9K A$37.1K

1.14%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$209 A$299

$160 A$229

30.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$28.46 A$40.75

$26.65 A$38.16

6.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.37 A$69.2

$61.2 A$87.7

-21.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 A$80.1

$61.1 A$87.4

-8.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 A$25.92

$22.66 A$32.43

-20.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.25

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,123 A$3,039

$1,982 A$2,837

7.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K A$28.7K

$26.8K A$38.4K

-25.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 A$112

$85.1 A$122

-7.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 A$77.2

$46.37 A$66.4

16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$111 A$159

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$178

$110 A$157

13.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,424 A$2,038

$1,957 A$2,802

-27.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 A$1,766

$1,441 A$2,063

-14.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,298 A$3,290

$3,481 A$4,983

-33.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 A$2,617

$2,234 A$3,197

-18.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,767 A$8,256

$9,571 A$13.7K

-39.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,935 A$7,065

$6,938 A$9,932

-28.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,635 A$3,771

$4,134 A$5,918

-36.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.84

1.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Albany: October 31, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Albany

$1.2K 48.2%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 16.8% $207

Groceries & Markets

Albany

$373 14.6%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 3.1% $11

Eating Out

Albany

$315 12.3%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 1.4% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany

$286 11.2%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 13.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Albany

$164 6.4%

Brisbane

$158 6% 3.2% $5.3

Getting Around

Albany

$106 4.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Albany

$84 3.3%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 6.1% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,424 in Albany and $1,957 in Brisbane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brisbane pays 57% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $86 in Albany vs $85 in Brisbane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $362 per month, with Brisbane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Albany

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

2 h ahead of Albany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,128

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Albany Brisbane 3,430 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Albany
Brisbane

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Albany vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Brisbane. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Albany the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Albany. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,424 in Albany versus $1,957 in Brisbane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,123 in Albany versus $1,982 in Brisbane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Brisbane runs roughly 74% less than in Albany. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Albany and Brisbane are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Albany wins on affordability, Brisbane on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.