Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Bowral

For one person, living is cheaper in Bowral: $2,461 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Bowral
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Bowral Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Bowral

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,461

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Bowral

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,630 in Brisbane versus $2,461 in Bowral.

Brisbane $2,630
Bowral $2,461

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,801 in Brisbane versus $3,627 in Bowral.

Brisbane $3,801
Bowral $3,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,972 in Brisbane versus $4,793 in Bowral.

Brisbane $4,972
Bowral $4,793

Living in Brisbane is roughly 7% more expensive than in Bowral, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brisbane 93% above, Bowral 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.15

$15.60 A$22.28

12.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$89.6 A$128

-10.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.32

$10.59 A$15.12

7.93%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.45

$2.76 A$3.95

63.41%

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

$2.95 A$4.22

$2.08 A$2.97

41.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.42

$1.44 A$2.05

65.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.30

$8.52 A$12.17

1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$9.89 A$14.13

-15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.31

$1.49 A$2.13

8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.79

$3.09 A$4.42

-14.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$2.50 A$3.57

-7.20%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.05

$5.36 A$7.66

-7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.97

$12.74 A$18.20

-28.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.03

$9.64 A$13.76

-5.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.47

$15.21 A$21.72

-5.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.91

$3.87 A$5.52

6.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.38

$3.21 A$4.58

-4.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.35

$3.60 A$5.14

-15.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.98

$5.18 A$7.40

-5.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.01

$3.17 A$4.53

-11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.84 A$4.06

-12.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.44

$2.57 A$3.67

-6.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.37 A$1.96

-13.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$55.0

$45.12 A$64.4

-14.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$18.06

$14.23 A$20.32

-11.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.45

$4.82 A$6.88

8.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.95

$5.62 A$8.03

-13.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.97 A$4.23

-88.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.95

$81.1 A$116

-74.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.35

$3.96 A$5.65

-22.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.70

$1.64 A$2.34

15.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.2

$43.97 A$62.8

-7.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.31 A$1.87

10.69%

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

$29.7K A$42.4K

$27.8K A$39.7K

6.75%

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

$25.6K A$36.6K

$26.0K A$37.1K

-1.38%

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

$158 A$225

$182 A$261

-13.53%

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

$26.05 A$37.21

$26.81 A$38.29

-2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$87.3

$56.4 A$80.6

8.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$87.3

$55.6 A$79.4

9.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.93

$17.64 A$25.19

26.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.93

$15.43 A$22.04

-9.59%

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

$2,044 A$2,919

$2,372 A$3,387

-13.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.4K

$20.2K A$28.8K

-36.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$118

$76.4 A$109

7.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.3

$57.1 A$81.5

-23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$108 A$154

5.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$130 A$186

-14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,776

$1,408 A$2,010

38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,044

$1,177 A$1,680

21.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,976

$2,171 A$3,101

60.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,200

$1,848 A$2,639

21.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$5,792 A$8,272

60.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$10.0K

$4,998 A$7,138

40.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,918

$3,177 A$4,538

30.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.95

-2.35%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bowral: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Bowral

$1.2K 47.8% 17.8% $255

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Bowral

$394 16% 8.9% $32

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Bowral

$266 10.8% 14.3% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Bowral

$266 10.8% 8.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Bowral

$167 6.8% 6% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Bowral

$86 3.5% 2.9% $2.6

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Bowral

$105 4.3% 202% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,944 in Brisbane and $1,408 in Bowral. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brisbane pays 30% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $80 in Brisbane vs $90 in Bowral for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $394 per month, with Brisbane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Bowral

🕒 Local time

19:17 7:17 PM

20:17 8:17 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

10,764

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Bowral 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Bowral

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 Bowral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,461 in Bowral, so Bowral is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 30% 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 $1,408 in Bowral. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,044 in Brisbane versus $2,372 in Bowral. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Brisbane pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Bowral gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

It comes down to priorities – Bowral wins on affordability, Brisbane on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.