Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Bunbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Bunbury: $2,158 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Bunbury
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Bunbury Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Bunbury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Bunbury

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,158 in Bunbury, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Bunbury $2,158

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,353 in Bunbury, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Bunbury $3,353

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,548 in Bunbury, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Bunbury $4,548

Brisbane costs about 22% more than Bunbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Bunbury sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Bunbury by 60%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.91

$21.22 A$30.86

-16.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$124

$85.6 A$125

-0.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.40

$10.63 A$15.46

6.11%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.47

$4.16 A$6.05

6.97%

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

$2.80 A$4.08

$2.85 A$4.15

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.56

$2.25 A$3.27

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.51

$8.50 A$12.36

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$12.17

$8.49 A$12.35

-1.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.56

$1.09 A$1.59

61.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.73

$1.11 A$1.62

131.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.18

$2.03 A$2.95

7.39%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.19

$5.09 A$7.41

-2.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.93

$9.36 A$13.62

2.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$13.11

$8.27 A$12.03

8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$20.36

$8.64 A$12.57

62.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.12

$3.63 A$5.28

15.98%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.62

$3.14 A$4.57

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$4.06

$2.86 A$4.16

-2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$7.02

$4.57 A$6.65

5.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.08

$2.72 A$3.95

2.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.43

$1.95 A$2.84

21.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.43

$1.74 A$2.53

35.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.73

$0.83 A$1.20

43.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$56.8

$25.49 A$37.07

53.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.67

$6.98 A$10.16

83.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.67

$4.57 A$6.65

15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.14

$3.33 A$4.84

47.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.53

$2.78 A$4.05

-87.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$31.10

$55.9 A$81.3

-61.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.79

$3.91 A$5.68

-33.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.73

$1.58 A$2.30

18.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$60.6

$34.51 A$50.2

20.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.15

$1.19 A$1.74

24.37%

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

$29.0K A$42.2K

$20.8K A$30.3K

39.22%

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

$25.9K A$37.7K

$19.1K A$27.8K

35.43%

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

$160 A$232

$157 A$229

1.64%

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

$26.65 A$38.77

$33.09 A$48.12

-19.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$89.1

$62.3 A$90.7

-1.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$88.8

$56.3 A$81.8

8.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.95

$10.55 A$15.35

114.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.58

$13.77 A$20.03

2.76%

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

$1,982 A$2,882

$2,282 A$3,318

-13.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$39.0K

$32.8K A$47.7K

-18.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$124

$77.4 A$113

9.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$67.4

$64.1 A$93.3

-27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$162

$123 A$179

-10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$159

$92.9 A$135

17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,846

$993 A$1,445

97.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,096

$961 A$1,398

50.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$5,062

$1,801 A$2,620

93.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,249

$1,801 A$2,619

24.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.9K

$4,815 A$7,003

98.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$10.1K

$4,011 A$5,833

72.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$6,013

$4,729 A$6,878

-12.57%

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 Bunbury: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Bunbury

$961 44.5% 33.3% $480

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Bunbury

$290 13.4% 19.9% $72

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Bunbury

$331 15.4% 6.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Bunbury

$253 11.7% 2% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Bunbury

$161 7.5% 1.6% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Bunbury

$84 3.9% 6.2% $5.6

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Bunbury

$79 3.7% 126% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $993 in Bunbury. 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 14% higher in Bunbury, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $86 in Bunbury. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $290 in Bunbury – so Bunbury wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Bunbury

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

10:42 10:42 AM

2 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

75,196

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.688 USD

1 AUD = 0.615 EUR

1 AUD = 0.688 USD

1 AUD = 0.615 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Bunbury 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Bunbury

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 Bunbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 22% more than Bunbury, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,237 in Bunbury. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bunbury, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $993 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,158 in Bunbury. That makes Bunbury about 18% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,282 in Bunbury. 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 Bunbury, where all-in costs run around $2,158, than in Brisbane at $2,644. In Bunbury 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 $2,158 in Bunbury 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.