Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Canberra

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $2,886 in Canberra, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Canberra

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,886 in Canberra, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Canberra $2,886

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $4,020 in Canberra, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Canberra $4,020

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $5,153 in Canberra, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Canberra $5,153

Brisbane is about 9% cheaper than Canberra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Canberra sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Canberra by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$20.77 A$29.51

-15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$89.8 A$128

-10.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$10.43 A$14.82

9.59%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$3.99 A$5.66

13.03%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$3.12 A$4.43

-5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.64 A$3.75

-9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$8.32 A$11.82

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$10.11 A$14.36

-17.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.49 A$2.12

8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$3.14 A$4.47

-15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.53 A$3.59

-8.30%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$5.32 A$7.56

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$13.15 A$18.68

-30.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$9.98 A$14.18

-8.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$15.08 A$21.43

-4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$4.03 A$5.72

2.73%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$3.17 A$4.50

-3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.54 A$5.03

-13.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$5.13 A$7.29

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$3.22 A$4.57

-12.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.83 A$4.02

-12.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.48 A$3.52

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.40 A$2.00

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$44.06 A$62.6

-12.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$14.26 A$20.26

-11.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$4.81 A$6.84

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.68 A$8.07

-14.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.53 A$3.60

-86.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$94.8 A$135

-77.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.99 A$5.67

-23.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.65 A$2.35

14.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$42.56 A$60.5

-4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.33 A$1.89

9.02%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$28.0K A$39.8K

6.16%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$26.3K A$37.4K

-2.63%

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

$158 A$224

$184 A$262

-14.38%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$26.57 A$37.75

-1.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$55.9 A$79.5

9.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$79.4 A$113

-23.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$27.81 A$39.52

-19.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$16.02 A$22.76

-12.92%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$2,460 A$3,496

-16.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$20.6K A$29.3K

-37.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$76.1 A$108

8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$57.4 A$81.6

-24.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$107 A$153

5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$133 A$189

-16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,749 A$2,485

11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,495 A$2,125

-4.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$3,065 A$4,355

13.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$1,978 A$2,811

13.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$11.1K A$15.8K

-16.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$7,790 A$11.1K

-10.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$4,317 A$6,134

-4.01%

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 Canberra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8% 4.5% $64

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Canberra

$397 13.8% 9.8% $36

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Canberra

$330 11.4% 6.3% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Canberra

$267 9.2% 8.9% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Canberra

$168 5.8% 6.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Canberra

$111 3.9% 25.2% $22

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Canberra

$117 4.1% 236% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,749 in Canberra. 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 4% higher in Canberra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane versus $90 in Canberra. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $397 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Canberra

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

07:22 7:22 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

466,566 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Canberra 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Canberra

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 Canberra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Canberra costs about 10% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $4,329 in Canberra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canberra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,749 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Canberra, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $90 in Canberra. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,886 in Canberra. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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