Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Adelaide Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Adelaide

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,613 in Brisbane versus $2,778 in Adelaide.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,966 in Brisbane versus $3,868 in Adelaide.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,318 in Brisbane versus $4,958 in Adelaide.

Living in Brisbane costs roughly 6% less than in Adelaide, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brisbane 90% above, Adelaide 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.77 A$24.66

$17.71 A$24.58

0.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 A$115

$78.6 A$109

5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 A$15.85

$11.65 A$16.17

-1.97%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.15

$4.05 A$5.62

9.38%

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

$3.03 A$4.21

$2.89 A$4.01

4.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 A$3.61

$2.56 A$3.55

1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$11.86

$8.13 A$11.28

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 A$11.70

$8.81 A$12.23

-4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 A$2.38

$1.96 A$2.72

-12.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.75

$3.03 A$4.21

-10.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.35

$2.37 A$3.29

1.69%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.08

$5.93 A$8.23

-14.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 A$12.90

$11.54 A$16.01

-19.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$12.64

$9.03 A$12.53

0.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 A$19.62

$17.90 A$24.85

-21.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 A$5.96

$4.12 A$5.72

4.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.31

$3.00 A$4.17

3.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 A$4.12

$3.66 A$5.07

-18.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 A$6.90

$5.18 A$7.19

-4.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 A$3.99

$3.45 A$4.78

-16.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.38

$2.40 A$3.33

1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.53

$2.62 A$3.64

-3.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.69

$2.29 A$3.18

-46.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.99 A$55.5

$45.50 A$63.2

-12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 A$17.61

$14.12 A$19.59

-10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.37

$5.16 A$7.16

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 A$7.09

$6.22 A$8.64

-17.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 A$0.48

$3.19 A$4.42

-89.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.53 A$29.89

$86.4 A$120

-75.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 A$4.25

$3.57 A$4.95

-14.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.55

$1.79 A$2.49

2.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.92 A$59.6

$31.69 A$43.98

35.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.98

$1.30 A$1.81

10.00%

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

$27.7K A$38.5K

$27.6K A$38.4K

0.37%

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

$29.1K A$40.4K

$28.1K A$39.1K

3.51%

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

$172 A$239

$187 A$260

-8.06%

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

$27.89 A$38.71

$22.20 A$30.81

25.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 A$88.3

$55.3 A$76.8

14.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 A$88.3

$58.7 A$81.5

8.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.02 A$29.18

$14.28 A$19.82

47.20%

Cinema Ticket

$16.39 A$22.75

$16.80 A$23.31

-2.44%

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

$2,166 A$3,006

$2,107 A$2,925

2.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K A$18.1K

$14.4K A$20.0K

-9.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 A$119

$74.3 A$103

15.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.31 A$61.5

$55.2 A$76.6

-19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$161

$117 A$163

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$138 A$191

-20.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 A$2,769

$1,784 A$2,476

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 A$1,952

$1,395 A$1,936

0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,433 A$4,765

$2,495 A$3,463

37.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 A$3,337

$1,848 A$2,564

30.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,276 A$11.5K

$10.2K A$14.1K

-18.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,834 A$8,097

$7,041 A$9,772

-17.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,250 A$5,898

$3,829 A$5,315

10.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

-2.50%

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

Last update for Brisbane: August 31, 2026

Last update for Adelaide: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,995 in Brisbane and $1,784 in Adelaide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brisbane pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Brisbane vs $79.0 in Adelaide. Groceries flip the comparison at $367 vs $415, with Brisbane cheaper for home cooking.

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

Brisbane vs Adelaide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane and Adelaide differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,613 vs $2,778 including rent). Brisbane is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Brisbane, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,995 in Brisbane versus $1,784 in Adelaide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,166 in Brisbane versus $2,107 in Adelaide. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Adelaide. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Brisbane 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, Brisbane and Adelaide are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brisbane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Adelaide. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.