Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Ballina, Australia

Name: Ballina
Address: Ballina, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,525 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 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 Ballina
Learn more

Ballina Living Index

Jump to prices

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,525 in Ballina, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Ballina $2,525

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,645 in Ballina, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Ballina $3,645

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,766 in Ballina, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Ballina $4,766

Brisbane costs about 5% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Ballina sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Ballina by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.42

$17.32 A$24.72

2.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$83.4 A$119

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.09

$10.54 A$15.04

7.02%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.35

$4.05 A$5.79

9.88%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.87 A$4.10

-2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.49

$2.28 A$3.26

7.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.28

$7.68 A$10.96

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$7.50 A$10.70

11.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$2.68 A$3.82

-34.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$3.43 A$4.89

-25.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.21 A$3.15

-1.36%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.06

$5.58 A$7.97

-11.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.67

$6.16 A$8.80

55.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.86

$9.52 A$13.59

-5.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.98

$14.50 A$20.69

-3.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.01

$3.60 A$5.14

16.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$3.05 A$4.36

4.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.99

$3.27 A$4.66

-14.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.89

$3.47 A$4.95

39.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.73 A$3.89

2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.50 A$3.56

-5.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$3.46 A$4.93

-31.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.55 A$2.21

-23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.8

$42.40 A$60.5

-7.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.32

$14.17 A$20.23

-9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.53

$4.60 A$6.56

14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.01

$5.11 A$7.29

-3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.68 A$3.82

-86.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.52

$82.9 A$118

-74.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.72

$3.41 A$4.87

-23.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.60 A$2.28

17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.5

$39.99 A$57.1

4.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.32 A$1.88

12.12%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$29.3K A$41.8K

-1.01%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$26.3K A$37.5K

-1.39%

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

$160 A$228

$212 A$303

-24.71%

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

$26.65 A$38.04

$27.41 A$39.13

-2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.4

$58.0 A$82.8

5.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.2

$55.5 A$79.2

10.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.34

$18.00 A$25.68

25.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.19

$14.11 A$20.14

0.28%

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

$1,982 A$2,829

$2,118 A$3,023

-6.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$20.6K A$29.4K

30.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$77.1 A$110

10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.2

$53.8 A$76.8

-13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$108 A$154

2.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$122 A$175

-10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,793

$1,395 A$1,991

40.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,057

$1,207 A$1,723

19.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,968

$2,275 A$3,247

53.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,188

$1,824 A$2,603

22.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$5,839 A$8,334

63.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,903

$5,029 A$7,177

37.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,901

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 Ballina: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Ballina

$1.2K 47.8% 16.2% $234

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Ballina

$376 14.9% 3.9% $14

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Ballina

$293 11.6% 5.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Ballina

$298 11.8% 20.2% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Ballina

$163 6.4% 2.7% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Ballina

$84 3.3% 6.4% $5.7

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Ballina

$105 4.2% 202% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,395 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $83 in Ballina. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $376 in Ballina – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

8,911

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Ballina 160 km

From you

Brisbane
Ballina

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Brisbane is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,787 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,395 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,525 in Ballina. That makes Ballina about 5% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,118 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,525 in Ballina. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,525 in Ballina to $2,644 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.