Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Albany

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.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Albany
Learn more

Albany Living Index

Jump to prices

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Albany

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

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

Brisbane $2,644
Albany $2,562

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

Brisbane $3,821
Albany $3,690

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

Brisbane $4,999
Albany $4,819

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.50

$19.32 A$27.66

-7.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$85.8 A$123

-0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.14

$10.32 A$14.77

9.30%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.37

$4.52 A$6.47

-1.55%

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

$2.80 A$4.01

$2.52 A$3.60

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.51

$2.14 A$3.07

14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.31

$8.33 A$11.92

3.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.97

$7.38 A$10.56

13.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.52

$1.56 A$2.23

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.67

$2.72 A$3.89

-5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.13

$2.32 A$3.32

-6.03%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.08

$5.12 A$7.33

-3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.71

$9.55 A$13.66

0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.90

$9.42 A$13.48

-4.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$20.04

$14.80 A$21.19

-5.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.03

$4.09 A$5.86

2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.55

$3.01 A$4.31

5.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$4.00

$3.27 A$4.68

-14.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.91

$4.73 A$6.77

2.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.01

$2.72 A$3.90

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.47 A$3.54

-4.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.38

$2.21 A$3.16

6.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.58 A$2.27

-24.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$56.0

$42.10 A$60.3

-7.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.37

$15.09 A$21.60

-14.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.55

$4.66 A$6.67

13.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.03

$5.39 A$7.72

-8.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.80 A$4.01

-87.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.61

$83.7 A$120

-74.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.73

$3.43 A$4.92

-23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.69

$1.58 A$2.26

18.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.6

$40.57 A$58.1

2.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.26 A$1.80

17.46%

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)

$25.9K A$37.1K

$26.2K A$37.5K

-1.12%

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

$160 A$229

$209 A$299

-23.49%

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

$26.65 A$38.16

$28.46 A$40.75

-6.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.7

$48.37 A$69.2

26.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.4

$56.0 A$80.1

9.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.43

$18.11 A$25.92

25.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.25

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

$1,982 A$2,837

$2,123 A$3,039

-6.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.4K

$20.0K A$28.7K

33.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$122

$78.5 A$112

8.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.4

$54.0 A$77.2

-14.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$107 A$153

3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$157

$124 A$178

-11.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,802

$1,424 A$2,038

37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,063

$1,234 A$1,766

16.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,983

$2,298 A$3,290

51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,197

$1,828 A$2,617

22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$5,767 A$8,256

65.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,932

$4,935 A$7,065

40.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,918

$2,635 A$3,771

56.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.9

-1.02%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Albany: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Albany

$1.2K 48.2% 14.4% $207

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Albany

$373 14.6% 3.2% $11

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Albany

$315 12.3% 1.4% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Albany

$286 11.2% 15.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Albany

$164 6.4% 3.3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Albany

$84 3.3% 5.7% $5.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Albany

$106 4.2% 205% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,957 in Brisbane and $1,424 in Albany. 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: $85 in Brisbane vs $86 in Albany for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $373 per month, with Brisbane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Albany

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

2 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

31,128

💱 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

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

From you

Brisbane
Albany

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

Brisbane vs Albany: 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.

Average pay runs 57% 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: $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,424 in Albany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,982 in Brisbane versus $2,123 in Albany. 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, Brisbane and Albany 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.