Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Bendigo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bendigo: $2,008 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index
97

Cost of Living Index in Bendigo
Learn more

Bendigo Living Index

Jump to prices

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Bendigo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Bendigo

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,008 in Bendigo, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Bendigo $2,008

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $2,978 in Bendigo, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Bendigo $2,978

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $3,948 in Bendigo, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Bendigo $3,948

Brisbane costs about 31% more than Bendigo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Brisbane and Bendigo sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Bendigo by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$24.94

$17.37 A$24.60

1.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$113

$77.1 A$109

3.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.19

$12.40 A$17.57

-7.82%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.39

$4.08 A$5.78

10.54%

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

$2.95 A$4.18

$3.10 A$4.39

-4.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.39

$2.58 A$3.66

-7.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.20

$9.97 A$14.12

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.84

$8.66 A$12.27

-3.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.36 A$1.92

19.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$2.92 A$4.13

-9.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.57 A$3.64

-9.73%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.00

$4.73 A$6.71

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.86

$10.70 A$15.15

-15.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.92

$10.04 A$14.23

-9.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.31

$10.55 A$14.95

35.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.86

$3.56 A$5.04

16.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.35

$3.05 A$4.31

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.24 A$4.59

-5.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.92

$4.80 A$6.79

1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.88 A$4.08

-2.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$2.47 A$3.50

0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.46 A$3.49

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.63 A$2.31

-26.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.6

$44.51 A$63.1

-13.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.92

$10.38 A$14.70

21.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.39

$5.46 A$7.73

-4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$5.36 A$7.59

-9.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$3.45 A$4.88

-90.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.71

$56.9 A$80.6

-63.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.32

$4.12 A$5.84

-25.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.68

$1.41 A$2.00

34.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.7

$13.84 A$19.61

194.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.27 A$1.80

14.17%

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

$29.7K A$42.1K

$27.6K A$39.1K

7.68%

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

$25.6K A$36.3K

$19.7K A$27.9K

30.20%

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

$158 A$223

$142 A$202

10.75%

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

$26.05 A$36.91

$27.59 A$39.08

-5.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.6

$56.5 A$80.1

8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.67

$19.68 A$27.88

13.62%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.76

$12.70 A$17.99

9.84%

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

$2,044 A$2,896

$2,154 A$3,051

-5.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$29.9K A$42.3K

-56.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$81.5 A$116

1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$61.8

$49.98 A$70.8

-12.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$118 A$167

-3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$157

$136 A$192

-18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,754

$1,135 A$1,608

71.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,028

$825 A$1,169

73.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,936

$1,337 A$1,894

160.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,174

$1,248 A$1,767

79.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$4,400 A$6,232

111.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,921

$3,892 A$5,514

79.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,871

$2,967 A$4,202

39.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bendigo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Bendigo

$825 41.1% 42.4% $606

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Bendigo

$361 18% 0.3% $1.1

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Bendigo

$315 15.7% 1.5% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Bendigo

$227 11.3% 7.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Bendigo

$173 8.6% 9.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Bendigo

$25 * 1.3% 71.5% $64

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Bendigo

$82 4.1% 135% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,135 in Bendigo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane versus $77 in Bendigo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $361 – making Bendigo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Bendigo

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

15:25 3:25 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

100,649

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Bendigo 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Bendigo

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 Bendigo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Brisbane is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,012 in Bendigo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bendigo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,135 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,008 in Bendigo. That makes Bendigo about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $2,154 in Bendigo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bendigo, where all-in costs run around $2,008, than in Brisbane at $2,630. In Bendigo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,008 in Bendigo to $2,630 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.

If budget matters most, go with Bendigo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.