Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Balga

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $2,762 in Balga, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Balga despite lower rent and utilities.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Balga

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 Balga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,630 in Brisbane versus $2,762 in Balga.

Brisbane $2,630
Balga $2,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,801 in Brisbane versus $3,828 in Balga.

Brisbane $3,801
Balga $3,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,972 in Brisbane versus $4,893 in Balga.

Brisbane $4,972
Balga $4,893

Living in Brisbane costs roughly 5% less than in Balga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brisbane 93% above, Balga 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$24.94

$20.97 A$29.71

-16.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$113

$83.2 A$118

-3.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.19

$11.13 A$15.77

2.70%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.39

$4.62 A$6.54

-2.38%

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

$2.95 A$4.18

$2.80 A$3.96

5.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.39

$2.30 A$3.26

3.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.20

$8.39 A$11.89

2.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.84

$8.25 A$11.69

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.74 A$2.46

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$3.14 A$4.45

-15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$1.97 A$2.79

17.77%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.00

$5.09 A$7.22

-2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.86

$9.27 A$13.13

-2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.92

$9.46 A$13.40

-3.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.31

$13.74 A$19.46

4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.86

$4.56 A$6.46

-9.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.35

$3.21 A$4.55

-4.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.56 A$5.05

-14.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.92

$4.85 A$6.87

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.85 A$4.03

-1.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$1.93 A$2.73

28.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.26 A$3.21

6.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.34 A$1.90

-11.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.6

$42.17 A$59.7

-8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.92

$12.46 A$17.65

1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.39

$4.35 A$6.16

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$3.52 A$4.98

38.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.67 A$3.78

-87.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.71

$78.5 A$111

-73.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.61 A$5.12

-15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.68

$1.39 A$1.97

35.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.7

$41.13 A$58.3

-0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.35 A$1.91

7.41%

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

$29.7K A$42.1K

$29.9K A$42.4K

-0.69%

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

$25.6K A$36.3K

$27.8K A$39.5K

-8.08%

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

$158 A$223

$207 A$293

-23.61%

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

$26.05 A$36.91

$33.27 A$47.13

-21.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.6

$63.5 A$90.0

-3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.6

$62.6 A$88.7

-2.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.67

$19.26 A$27.29

16.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.76

$17.26 A$24.45

-19.18%

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

$2,044 A$2,896

$2,271 A$3,217

-9.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$23.7K A$33.6K

-45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$78.3 A$111

5.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$61.8

$63.5 A$89.9

-31.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$123 A$175

-7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$157

$165 A$233

-32.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,754

$1,467 A$2,078

32.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,028

$1,368 A$1,938

4.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,936

$2,000 A$2,833

74.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,174

$1,781 A$2,523

25.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$6,422 A$9,097

45.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,921

$4,389 A$6,217

59.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,871

$3,358 A$4,757

23.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.96

-2.52%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Balga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Balga

$1.4K 49.5% 4.4% $63

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Balga

$365 13.2% 0.9% $3.4

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Balga

$335 12.1% 8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Balga

$303 11% 23.8% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Balga

$193 7% 22.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Balga

$97 3.5% 9.1% $8.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Balga

$100 3.6% 187% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,944 in Brisbane and $1,467 in Balga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brisbane pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80 in Brisbane vs $83 in Balga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $365 per month, with Brisbane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Balga

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

20:41 8:41 PM

2 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

12,685

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Balga 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Balga

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 Balga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,762 in Balga, so Brisbane is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,467 in Balga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,044 in Brisbane versus $2,271 in Balga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brisbane – a meal for two runs $80 versus $83 in Balga. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Balga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.