Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Ballina Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Ballina

🙂 Solo nomad: Brisbane is 14.1% cheaper than Ballina without rent, and 1.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Brisbane is 6.4% more expensive than Ballina without rent, and 0.9% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.24 A$24.88
$16.38 A$25.09
-0.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2 A$109
$79.3 A$121
-10.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.6 A$14.7
$9.75 A$14.94
-1.54%
Cappuccino
$3.6 A$5.51
$3.35 A$5.12
7.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 A$4.2
$2.58 A$3.96
6.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 A$3.29
$2.17 A$3.33
-0.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.36 A$9.75
$6.34 A$9.71
0.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.97 A$12.2
$7.1 A$10.88
12.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.6 A$2.45
$2.38 A$3.64
-32.77%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 A$3.39
$3.07 A$4.71
-27.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.8 A$2.76
$1.96 A$3
-8.16%
Eggs
$4.47 A$6.85
$5.42 A$8.3
-17.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.05 A$12.33
$5.99 A$9.18
34.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.09 A$12.4
$8.3 A$12.71
-2.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.4 A$20.53
$13.7 A$20.98
-2.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.25 A$4.98
$3.3 A$5.05
-1.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.75 A$4.21
$2.8 A$4.29
-1.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.66 A$4.07
$2.88 A$4.41
-7.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.23 A$6.48
$3.31 A$5.07
27.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.41 A$3.69
$2.39 A$3.66
0.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.26 A$3.46
$2.17 A$3.32
4.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 A$3.44
$3.15 A$4.83
-28.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 A$1.89
$1.54 A$2.35
-19.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.96 A$50.5
$30.7 A$47.03
7.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.07 A$20.02
$13.11 A$20.08
-0.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.47 A$6.85
$4.56 A$6.98
-1.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.04 A$6.19
$5.27 A$8.07
-23.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 A$0.53
$2.67 A$4.09
-87.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.98 A$41.33
$65.2 A$99.9
-58.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.23 A$3.41
$3.67 A$5.62
-39.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 A$2.4
$1.55 A$2.38
0.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.95 A$52
$33.89 A$51.9
0.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 A$1.89
$1.13 A$1.73
8.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K A$43.8K
$28.5K A$43.7K
0.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K A$34.7K
$22.5K A$34.4K
0.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$144 A$221
$180 A$276
-19.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.53 A$39.11
$27.57 A$42.24
-7.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.9 A$82.6
$52.7 A$80.7
2.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.01 A$75.1
$49.42 A$75.7
-0.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.02 A$26.07
$15.58 A$23.86
9.24%
Cinema Ticket
$13.17 A$20.18
$13.09 A$20.06
0.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,646 A$2,521
$1,606 A$2,460
2.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,863 A$13.6K
$12.1K A$18.6K
-26.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.8 A$111
$66.8 A$102
8.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.21 A$67.7
$49.56 A$75.9
-10.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.5 A$145
$100 A$154
-5.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 A$155
$106 A$163
-4.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,588 A$2,433
$1,255 A$1,923
26.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 A$1,894
$1,046 A$1,602
18.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,568 A$3,935
$1,986 A$3,042
29.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,885 A$2,888
$1,674 A$2,565
12.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,805 A$13.5K
$5,199 A$7,965
69.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,597 A$10.1K
$5,011 A$7,678
31.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brisbane
Ballina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,896 A$5,968
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.24
6.34
-1.58%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 28, 2025

Last update for Ballina: October 27, 2025

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