Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Busselton

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Busselton: $2,630 and $2,622 a month, rent and utilities included.

Brisbane, Australia
Busselton, Australia
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,630
/mo nomad
Busselton
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,622
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Busselton

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,622 in Busselton, rent included.

  • Brisbane $2,630
  • Busselton $2,622

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,738 in Busselton, rent included.

  • Brisbane $3,801
  • Busselton $3,738

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,853 in Busselton, rent included.

  • Brisbane $4,972
  • Busselton $4,853

Brisbane and Busselton have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.61 A$25.02
$17.71 A$25.17
-0.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.0 A$114
$85.7 A$122
-6.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 A$16.24
$10.46 A$14.86
9.27%
Cappuccino
$4.51 A$6.41
$4.61 A$6.55
-2.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 A$4.20
$2.06 A$2.92
43.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 A$3.40
$2.15 A$3.06
11.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.61 A$12.23
$8.16 A$11.59
5.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.36 A$11.88
$8.65 A$12.29
-3.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 A$2.30
$1.69 A$2.40
-4.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 A$3.77
$3.24 A$4.60
-18.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.30
$2.03 A$2.89
14.29%
Eggs
$4.94 A$7.02
$5.29 A$7.51
-6.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 A$12.90
$9.02 A$12.82
0.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 A$12.96
$9.45 A$13.43
-3.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.34 A$20.37
$13.73 A$19.51
4.44%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 A$5.88
$4.59 A$6.53
-9.80%
Banana (1kg)
$3.07 A$4.36
$3.23 A$4.59
-4.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 A$4.33
$3.55 A$5.05
-14.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.89 A$6.94
$4.99 A$7.09
-2.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 A$3.99
$2.91 A$4.13
-3.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 A$3.52
$1.97 A$2.80
25.89%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 A$3.42
$2.22 A$3.16
8.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 A$1.69
$1.35 A$1.91
-11.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$38.54 A$54.8
$41.77 A$59.4
-7.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.65 A$17.97
$12.58 A$17.88
0.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.22 A$7.41
$4.34 A$6.16
20.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.87 A$6.92
$3.42 A$4.87
42.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 A$0.48
$2.83 A$4.02
-87.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.97 A$29.80
$75.3 A$107
-72.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.05 A$4.33
$3.72 A$5.28
-18.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 A$2.69
$1.46 A$2.08
29.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.76 A$57.9
$40.47 A$57.5
0.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 A$2.06
$1.36 A$1.94
6.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K A$42.2K
$29.6K A$42.1K
0.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K A$36.4K
$27.3K A$38.7K
-6.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 A$224
$205 A$291
-23.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.05 A$37.02
$33.45 A$47.53
-22.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.1 A$86.9
$64.7 A$92.0
-5.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 A$86.9
$54.5 A$77.5
12.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.36 A$31.77
$19.77 A$28.10
13.10%
Cinema Ticket
$13.95 A$19.82
$17.48 A$24.84
-20.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,044 A$2,905
$2,269 A$3,224
-9.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K A$18.3K
$23.0K A$32.7K
-44.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.4 A$117
$78.1 A$111
5.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.63 A$62.0
$63.0 A$89.6
-30.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 A$161
$123 A$175
-7.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 A$158
$161 A$228
-30.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,944 A$2,762
$1,288 A$1,830
50.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 A$2,034
$1,270 A$1,805
12.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,484 A$4,951
$2,366 A$3,362
47.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,240 A$3,184
$1,815 A$2,580
23.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,322 A$13.2K
$5,978 A$8,494
55.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,003 A$9,951
$4,879 A$6,932
43.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brisbane
Busselton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,144 A$5,888
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.81
5.96
-2.52%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Busselton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
$1.4K
Busselton
$1.3K 11.3% $161
Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
$362
Busselton
$367 1.4% $5.1
Eating Out
Brisbane
$310
Busselton
$303 2.3% $7.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
$245
Busselton
$303 23.8% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
$158
Busselton
$191 21.3% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
$89
Busselton
$89 0.5% $0.4
Getting Around
Brisbane
$35
Busselton
$98 180% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,288 in Busselton. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $86 in Busselton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $367 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🇦🇺 Busselton
🕒 Local time
06:29 6:29 AM
04:29 4:29 AM
2 h behind Brisbane
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,287,896
27,233
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brisbane Busselton 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brisbane
  • Busselton

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 Busselton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brisbane and in Busselton?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,933 in Busselton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Brisbane or Busselton?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Busselton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,288 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.
How expensive is transport in Brisbane compared to Busselton?
Public transport costs about 72% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do dining costs compare in Brisbane and in Busselton?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $86 in Busselton. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Brisbane or in Busselton?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,622 in Busselton, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brisbane or Busselton?
It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,622 in Busselton to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Brisbane compared to Busselton?
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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