Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Dandenong

For one person, living is cheaper in Dandenong: $1,068 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Dandenong

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $1,068 in Dandenong, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Dandenong $1,068

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $2,358 in Dandenong, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Dandenong $2,358

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $3,647 in Dandenong, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Dandenong $3,647

Brisbane costs about 147% more than Dandenong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Brisbane sits 96% above the global median, while Dandenong is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.70

$17.85 A$25.75

-0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$123

$51.7 A$74.5

65.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.27

$12.63 A$18.22

-10.69%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.42

$4.23 A$6.09

5.20%

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

$2.80 A$4.04

$2.20 A$3.18

27.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.53

$2.21 A$3.19

10.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.41

$5.58 A$8.04

54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$12.07

$3.57 A$5.15

134.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$1.56 A$2.24

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.70

$2.51 A$3.62

2.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.15

$2.47 A$3.57

-11.74%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.13

$5.37 A$7.75

-7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.82

$8.34 A$12.03

14.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$13.00

$7.87 A$11.35

14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$20.19

$11.76 A$16.96

19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.07

$3.54 A$5.10

18.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.59

$2.86 A$4.13

11.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$4.03

$2.05 A$2.96

36.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.96

$2.08 A$3.00

132.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.04

$2.09 A$3.01

33.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.40

$2.47 A$3.56

-4.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.40

$0.69 A$0.99

242.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$1.45 A$2.10

-17.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$56.4

$43.24 A$62.4

-9.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.52

$10.47 A$15.11

22.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.61

$5.54 A$7.99

-4.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.08

$3.57 A$5.14

37.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$4.98 A$7.18

-92.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.76

$3.86 A$5.56

-32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.71

$1.43 A$2.06

31.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$60.1

$29.30 A$42.27

42.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.41 A$2.03

4.96%

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

$29.0K A$41.8K

$29.4K A$42.4K

-1.42%

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

$25.9K A$37.4K

$24.0K A$34.6K

7.89%

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

$160 A$230

$228 A$330

-30.07%

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

$26.65 A$38.45

$15.81 A$22.81

68.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$88.3

$42.35 A$61.1

44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$88.1

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.68

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.41

$17.34 A$25.02

-18.40%

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

$1,982 A$2,859

$2,508 A$3,618

-20.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.7K

$34.7K A$50.0K

-22.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$123

$31.25 A$45.08

172.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.9

$17.69 A$25.52

162.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$107 A$154

3.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$158

$111 A$160

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,823

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,079

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$5,021

$2,137 A$3,083

62.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,222

$1,400 A$2,019

59.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$10.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,964

$4,190 A$6,044

-1.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.94

-1.68%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Dandenong: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Dandenong

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Dandenong

$312 29.2% 13.6% $49

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Dandenong

$284 26.6% 8.5% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Dandenong

$287 26.8% 15.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Dandenong

$120 11.2% 24.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Dandenong

$35 * 3.3% 61.2% $55

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Dandenong

$31 * 2.9% 11.3% $3.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $52 in Dandenong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $312 – making Dandenong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

18:38 6:38 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

30,127

💱 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

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Between locations

Brisbane Dandenong 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Dandenong

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 Dandenong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 147% more than Dandenong, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $1,603 in Dandenong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $1,068 in Dandenong. That makes Dandenong about 60% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,508 in Dandenong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dandenong, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Brisbane at $2,644. In Dandenong 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 $1,068 in Dandenong 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.