Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bendigo and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Bendigo: $2,008 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Bendigo
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Bendigo Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Bendigo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,008

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bendigo 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 Bendigo and in Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,008 per month in Bendigo vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Bendigo $2,008
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $2,978 per month in Bendigo vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Bendigo $2,978
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $3,948 per month in Bendigo vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Bendigo $3,948
Brisbane $4,972

Bendigo is about 24% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Bendigo and Brisbane sit above the global median – Bendigo by 48%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 A$24.60

$17.61 A$24.94

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$109

$80.0 A$113

-3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.40 A$17.57

$11.43 A$16.19

8.49%

Cappuccino

$4.08 A$5.78

$4.51 A$6.39

-9.53%

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

$3.10 A$4.39

$2.95 A$4.18

5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 A$3.66

$2.39 A$3.39

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.97 A$14.12

$8.61 A$12.20

15.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.66 A$12.27

$8.36 A$11.84

3.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.92

$1.62 A$2.29

-16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 A$4.13

$2.65 A$3.76

10.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.64

$2.32 A$3.29

10.78%

Eggs

$4.73 A$6.71

$4.94 A$7.00

-4.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 A$15.15

$9.08 A$12.86

17.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 A$14.23

$9.12 A$12.92

10.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 A$14.95

$14.34 A$20.31

-26.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.04

$4.14 A$5.86

-14.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.31

$3.07 A$4.35

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.59

$3.05 A$4.32

6.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 A$6.79

$4.89 A$6.92

-1.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.08

$2.81 A$3.98

2.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.50

$2.48 A$3.51

-0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.49

$2.41 A$3.41

2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.31

$1.19 A$1.69

36.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.51 A$63.1

$38.54 A$54.6

15.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 A$14.70

$12.65 A$17.92

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.46 A$7.73

$5.22 A$7.39

4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.59

$4.87 A$6.90

10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 A$4.88

$0.34 A$0.48

914.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 A$80.6

$20.97 A$29.71

171.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 A$5.84

$3.05 A$4.32

35.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$2.00

$1.89 A$2.68

-25.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.84 A$19.61

$40.76 A$57.7

-66.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.80

$1.45 A$2.05

-12.41%

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

$27.6K A$39.1K

$29.7K A$42.1K

-7.13%

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

$19.7K A$27.9K

$25.6K A$36.3K

-23.20%

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

$142 A$202

$158 A$223

-9.71%

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

$27.59 A$39.08

$26.05 A$36.91

5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$80.1

$61.1 A$86.6

-7.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 A$27.88

$22.36 A$31.67

-11.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.70 A$17.99

$13.95 A$19.76

-8.96%

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

$2,154 A$3,051

$2,044 A$2,896

5.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.9K A$42.3K

$12.9K A$18.3K

131.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 A$116

$82.4 A$117

-1.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.98 A$70.8

$43.63 A$61.8

14.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$167

$113 A$161

4.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$192

$111 A$157

22.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 A$1,608

$1,944 A$2,754

-41.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 A$1,169

$1,431 A$2,028

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 A$1,894

$3,484 A$4,936

-61.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 A$1,767

$2,240 A$3,174

-44.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,400 A$6,232

$9,322 A$13.2K

-52.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,892 A$5,514

$7,003 A$9,921

-44.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,967 A$4,202

$4,144 A$5,871

-28.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.81

1.55%

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

Last update for Bendigo: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bendigo

$825 41.1%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 73.5% $606

Groceries & Markets

Bendigo

$361 18%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 0.3% $1.1

Eating Out

Bendigo

$315 15.7%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 1.4% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bendigo

$227 11.3%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 8.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Bendigo

$173 8.6%

Brisbane

$158 6% 9% $16

Getting Around

Bendigo

$82 4.1%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 57.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Bendigo

$25 * 1.3%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 251% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,135 in Bendigo versus $1,944 in Brisbane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Bendigo versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $362 – making Bendigo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bendigo

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

13:13 1:13 PM

12:13 12:13 PM

1 h behind Bendigo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,649

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bendigo Brisbane 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bendigo
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

Bendigo vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Brisbane is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,012 per month in Bendigo and $3,945 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bendigo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,135 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,008 in Bendigo and $2,630 in Brisbane. That makes Bendigo about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,154 per month in Bendigo and $2,044 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bendigo, where all-in costs run around $2,008, than in Brisbane at $2,630. In Bendigo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,008 in Bendigo to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bendigo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.