Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Byron Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Byron Bay: $2,411 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Byron Bay
Learn more

Byron Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Byron Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,411

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Byron Bay

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,411 in Byron Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Byron Bay $2,411

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,461 in Byron Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Byron Bay $3,461

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,512 in Byron Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Byron Bay $4,512

Brisbane costs about 10% more than Byron Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Brisbane and Byron Bay sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Byron Bay by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.70

$17.63 A$25.43

1.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$123

$79.2 A$114

7.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.27

$11.41 A$16.46

-1.14%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.42

$3.81 A$5.49

16.80%

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

$2.80 A$4.04

$1.41 A$2.03

98.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.53

$2.51 A$3.62

-2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.41

$7.97 A$11.50

7.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$12.07

$8.55 A$12.33

-2.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$1.65 A$2.38

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.70

$2.65 A$3.83

-3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.15

$2.33 A$3.36

-6.44%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.13

$4.76 A$6.87

3.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.82

$9.26 A$13.36

3.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$13.00

$9.44 A$13.61

-4.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$20.19

$14.29 A$20.61

-2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.07

$4.15 A$5.98

1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.59

$3.09 A$4.45

2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$4.03

$2.91 A$4.20

-4.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.96

$4.94 A$7.13

-2.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.04

$2.84 A$4.10

-1.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.40

$2.44 A$3.51

-3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.40

$2.34 A$3.38

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.21 A$1.74

-1.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$56.4

$33.38 A$48.14

17.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.52

$12.73 A$18.36

0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.61

$5.21 A$7.52

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.08

$4.96 A$7.15

-1.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.73 A$3.93

-86.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.85

$84.8 A$122

-74.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.76

$2.96 A$4.27

-11.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.71

$1.81 A$2.61

3.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$60.1

$41.11 A$59.3

1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.40 A$2.01

5.71%

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

$29.0K A$41.8K

$30.0K A$43.2K

-3.25%

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

$25.9K A$37.4K

$24.2K A$34.9K

7.04%

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

$160 A$230

$157 A$227

1.49%

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

$26.65 A$38.45

$14.04 A$20.26

89.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$88.3

$42.48 A$61.3

44.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$88.1

$55.3 A$79.8

10.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.68

$17.99 A$25.95

25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.41

$13.87 A$20.01

2.02%

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

$1,982 A$2,859

$2,014 A$2,905

-1.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.7K

$12.5K A$18.0K

115.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$123

$70.5 A$102

20.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.9

$21.07 A$30.40

120.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$69.7 A$101

59.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$158

-0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,823

$1,400 A$2,019

39.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,079

$1,227 A$1,770

17.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$5,021

$2,268 A$3,272

53.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,222

$1,799 A$2,595

24.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.8K

$5,888 A$8,494

62.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$10.0K

$5,008 A$7,224

38.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,964

$4,891 A$7,056

-15.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

16.80%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Byron Bay: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Byron Bay

$1.2K 50.9% 14.9% $214

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Byron Bay

$364 15.1% 0.5% $1.9

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Byron Bay

$294 12.2% 5.4% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Byron Bay

$214 8.9% 13.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Byron Bay

$122 5.1% 23.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Byron Bay

$83 3.4% 7.1% $6.3

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Byron Bay

$108 4.5% 209% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,400 in Byron Bay. 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 18% higher in Byron Bay, 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 $79 in Byron Bay. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $364 in Byron Bay – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Byron Bay

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

10,538

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Byron Bay 140 km

From you

Brisbane
Byron Bay

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 Byron Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 10% more than Byron Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $3,616 in Byron Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Byron Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,411 in Byron Bay. That makes Byron Bay about 9% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,014 in Byron Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,411 in Byron Bay, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,411 in Byron Bay 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.