Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Cheltenham

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheltenham: $2,327 a month against $2,520 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Cheltenham
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Cheltenham Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Cheltenham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Cheltenham

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,327 in Cheltenham, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Cheltenham $2,327

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $3,528 in Cheltenham, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Cheltenham $3,528

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $4,729 in Cheltenham, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Cheltenham $4,729

Brisbane costs about 8% more than Cheltenham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Cheltenham sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Cheltenham by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.29

$23.67 £17.75

-25.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$101

$105 £79.1

-33.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.09

$11.03 £8.28

1.36%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.13

$4.89 £3.67

-12.88%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.56 £1.92

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.60

$1.74 £1.31

43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$7.76 £5.82

10.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.66

$6.54 £4.91

23.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.73 £1.30

-6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.83

$1.71 £1.29

55.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.17

$1.99 £1.49

10.55%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.10

$4.43 £3.33

11.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$8.19 £6.15

10.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

$9.59 £7.19

-5.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.94

$13.09 £9.82

5.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.10 £2.32

32.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$1.43 £1.07

109.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.18

$1.93 £1.45

50.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$7.01

$3.49 £2.62

39.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.95

$1.52 £1.14

80.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.51

$1.51 £1.13

61.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$1.21 £0.91

98.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.76

$1.42 £1.07

-14.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.9

$23.12 £17.35

67.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.78

$10.63 £7.98

16.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$2.86 £2.15

79.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.04

$2.93 £2.20

67.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$3.44 £2.58

-89.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

$92.5 £69.4

-77.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.39

$3.53 £2.65

-13.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.64 £1.23

7.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$59.2

$26.85 £20.14

53.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.87 £1.40

-22.46%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$37.1K £27.8K

-27.98%

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

$27.8K A$39.9K

$41.2K £30.9K

-32.61%

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

$159 A$228

$341 £256

-53.40%

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

$25.86 A$37.21

$17.10 £12.83

51.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.8

$51.0 £38.24

18.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$89.1

$44.28 £33.22

39.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.93

$39.01 £29.27

-41.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$25.06

$14.00 £10.50

24.36%

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

$1,928 A$2,774

$2,020 £1,516

-4.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$25.2K £18.9K

-50.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

$98.2 £73.7

-14.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.5

$48.22 £36.18

-6.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$159

$106 £79.4

4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

$96.9 £72.7

12.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,773

$1,161 £871

65.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,906

$929 £697

42.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,714

$2,149 £1,613

52.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,261

$1,617 £1,213

40.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$12.0K

$5,704 £4,279

45.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,569

$5,676 £4,258

4.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

$4,753 £3,566

-13.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.54

4.87%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cheltenham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Cheltenham

$929 39.9% 29.9% $396

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Cheltenham

$292 12.6% 18.3% $65

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Cheltenham

$350 15.1% 14.5% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Cheltenham

$409 17.6% 66.9% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Cheltenham

$157 6.8% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Cheltenham

$72 3.1% 25.3% $24

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Cheltenham

$118 5.1% 247% $84

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,161 in Cheltenham. 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 16% higher in Cheltenham, 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 $70.0 in Brisbane versus $105 in Cheltenham. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Brisbane vs $292 in Cheltenham – so Cheltenham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇬🇧 Cheltenham

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

16:24 4:24 PM

9 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

115,300

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

British Pound GBP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Cheltenham 16,600 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Cheltenham

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 Cheltenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 8% more than Cheltenham, 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 $3,781 per month in Brisbane and $3,490 in Cheltenham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheltenham, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Brisbane and $105 in Cheltenham. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheltenham, where all-in costs run around $2,327, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Cheltenham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheltenham – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cheltenham. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.