Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Bathurst, Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Bathurst: $2,543 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Brisbane, Australia
Bathurst, Australia
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,644
/mo nomad
Bathurst
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,543
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Bathurst

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,543 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Brisbane $2,644
  • Bathurst $2,543

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,640 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Brisbane $3,821
  • Bathurst $3,640

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,737 in Bathurst, rent included.

  • Brisbane $4,999
  • Bathurst $4,737

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Bathurst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Bathurst sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Bathurst by 88%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.81 A$25.50
$15.12 A$21.64
17.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.4 A$122
$84.9 A$121
0.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 A$16.14
$10.70 A$15.32
5.42%
Cappuccino
$4.45 A$6.37
$3.64 A$5.21
22.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 A$4.01
$2.89 A$4.13
-3.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 A$3.51
$2.31 A$3.31
6.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.60 A$12.31
$4.75 A$6.81
81.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.36 A$11.97
$7.29 A$10.43
14.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 A$2.52
$1.56 A$2.23
12.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.57 A$3.67
$2.73 A$3.91
-5.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 A$3.13
$2.22 A$3.18
-1.80%
Eggs
$4.95 A$7.08
$5.68 A$8.14
-12.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.58 A$13.71
$10.03 A$14.35
-4.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 A$12.90
$9.27 A$13.27
-2.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.00 A$20.04
$14.08 A$20.15
-0.57%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 A$6.03
$4.31 A$6.17
-2.32%
Banana (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.55
$3.17 A$4.53
0.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 A$4.00
$3.71 A$5.31
-24.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 A$6.91
$4.78 A$6.85
1.05%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 A$4.01
$2.48 A$3.55
12.90%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 A$3.37
$2.35 A$3.37
0.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 A$3.38
$2.06 A$2.95
14.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 A$1.70
$1.52 A$2.18
-21.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$39.08 A$56.0
$41.65 A$59.6
-6.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.84 A$18.37
$12.33 A$17.65
4.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.27 A$7.55
$5.05 A$7.23
4.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.91 A$7.03
$4.79 A$6.85
2.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 A$0.52
$2.90 A$4.15
-87.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.39 A$30.61
$91.0 A$130
-76.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 A$3.73
$3.81 A$5.45
-31.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 A$2.69
$1.55 A$2.22
21.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.67 A$59.6
$37.35 A$53.5
11.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 A$2.11
$1.35 A$1.94
9.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K A$41.5K
$32.7K A$46.9K
-11.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K A$37.1K
$29.9K A$42.7K
-13.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$160 A$229
$209 A$300
-23.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 A$38.16
$41.21 A$59.0
-35.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.2 A$87.7
$62.4 A$89.3
-1.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.1 A$87.4
$59.5 A$85.1
2.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.66 A$32.43
$19.94 A$28.55
13.64%
Cinema Ticket
$14.15 A$20.25
$14.72 A$21.07
-3.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,982 A$2,837
$2,312 A$3,310
-14.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.8K A$38.4K
$23.6K A$33.7K
13.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.1 A$122
$76.2 A$109
11.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.37 A$66.4
$54.5 A$78.0
-14.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$159
$109 A$156
1.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 A$157
$113 A$162
-3.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,957 A$2,802
$1,399 A$2,003
39.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 A$2,063
$1,241 A$1,777
16.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,481 A$4,983
$2,280 A$3,263
52.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,234 A$3,197
$1,816 A$2,599
23.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,571 A$13.7K
$5,922 A$8,478
61.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,938 A$9,932
$4,559 A$6,526
52.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brisbane
Bathurst
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,134 A$5,918
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.84
5.91
-1.18%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Bathurst: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
$1.4K
Bathurst
$1.2K 13.9% $200
Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
$362
Bathurst
$371 2.5% $9.1
Eating Out
Brisbane
$310
Bathurst
$256 17.6% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
$248
Bathurst
$313 26.4% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
$158
Bathurst
$159 0.3% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
$89
Bathurst
$89 0.5% $0.5
Getting Around
Brisbane
$35
Bathurst
$114 228% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,399 in Bathurst. 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 $85 in Bathurst. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $371 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🇦🇺 Bathurst
🕒 Local time
01:10 1:10 AM
02:10 2:10 AM
1 h ahead of Brisbane
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,287,896
36,230
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brisbane Bathurst 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brisbane
  • Bathurst

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 Bathurst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bathurst cheaper than Brisbane?
Yes – Brisbane is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,814 in Bathurst. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bathurst, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,399 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 76% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,312 in Bathurst. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,500 enough to cover costs in Brisbane or in Bathurst?
$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,543 in Bathurst. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Brisbane or in Bathurst?
It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,543 in Bathurst to $2,644 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Brisbane or Bathurst?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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