Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Derby, Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Derby: $2,558 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Brisbane, Australia
Derby, Australia
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,644
/mo nomad
Derby
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,558
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Derby

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,558 in Derby, rent included.

  • Brisbane $2,644
  • Derby $2,558

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,658 in Derby, rent included.

  • Brisbane $3,821
  • Derby $3,658

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,757 in Derby, rent included.

  • Brisbane $4,999
  • Derby $4,757

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Derby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Derby sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Derby by 89%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.81 A$25.50
$17.51 A$25.07
1.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.4 A$122
$84.1 A$120
1.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 A$16.14
$10.55 A$15.11
6.92%
Cappuccino
$4.45 A$6.37
$4.03 A$5.77
10.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 A$4.01
$2.83 A$4.05
-1.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 A$3.51
$2.24 A$3.21
9.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.60 A$12.31
$7.73 A$11.07
11.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.36 A$11.97
$7.37 A$10.54
13.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 A$2.52
$1.50 A$2.15
17.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.57 A$3.67
$2.64 A$3.78
-2.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 A$3.13
$2.29 A$3.28
-4.80%
Eggs
$4.95 A$7.08
$4.99 A$7.14
-0.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.58 A$13.71
$9.35 A$13.38
2.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 A$12.90
$9.10 A$13.02
-0.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.00 A$20.04
$14.87 A$21.29
-5.85%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 A$6.03
$3.83 A$5.48
9.92%
Banana (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.55
$2.98 A$4.27
6.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 A$4.00
$3.29 A$4.70
-15.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 A$6.91
$4.76 A$6.81
1.47%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 A$4.01
$2.66 A$3.81
5.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 A$3.37
$2.47 A$3.53
-4.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 A$3.38
$2.42 A$3.47
-2.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 A$1.70
$1.54 A$2.21
-22.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$39.08 A$56.0
$41.74 A$59.8
-6.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.84 A$18.37
$14.17 A$20.28
-9.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.27 A$7.55
$4.75 A$6.80
10.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.91 A$7.03
$5.21 A$7.46
-5.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 A$0.52
$2.72 A$3.89
-86.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.39 A$30.61
$84.3 A$121
-74.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 A$3.73
$3.58 A$5.13
-27.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 A$2.69
$1.60 A$2.29
17.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.67 A$59.6
$39.56 A$56.6
5.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 A$2.11
$1.32 A$1.89
12.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K A$41.5K
$29.4K A$42.0K
-1.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K A$37.1K
$26.1K A$37.4K
-0.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$160 A$229
$204 A$292
-21.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 A$38.16
$28.30 A$40.51
-5.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.2 A$87.7
$57.0 A$81.5
7.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.1 A$87.4
$55.3 A$79.2
10.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.66 A$32.43
$17.92 A$25.65
26.45%
Cinema Ticket
$14.15 A$20.25
$13.94 A$19.95
1.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,982 A$2,837
$2,120 A$3,035
-6.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.8K A$38.4K
$20.3K A$29.1K
32.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.1 A$122
$77.4 A$111
9.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.37 A$66.4
$55.2 A$79.1
-16.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$159
$109 A$156
1.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 A$157
$121 A$173
-9.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,957 A$2,802
$1,402 A$2,007
39.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 A$2,063
$1,255 A$1,797
14.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,481 A$4,983
$2,271 A$3,252
53.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,234 A$3,197
$1,836 A$2,628
21.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,571 A$13.7K
$5,908 A$8,457
62.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,938 A$9,932
$4,962 A$7,104
39.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brisbane
Derby
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,134 A$5,918
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.84
5.9
-1.02%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Derby: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
$1.4K
Derby
$1.3K 12.9% $186
Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
$362
Derby
$366 1.3% $4.6
Eating Out
Brisbane
$310
Derby
$294 5.4% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
$248
Derby
$289 16.8% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
$158
Derby
$163 3% $4.8
Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
$89
Derby
$83 6.9% $6.2
Getting Around
Brisbane
$35
Derby
$107 207% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,402 in Derby. 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 $85 in Brisbane versus $84 in Derby. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $366 in Derby – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🇦🇺 Derby
🕒 Local time
19:36 7:36 PM
17:36 5:36 PM
2 h behind Brisbane
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,287,896
3,300
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brisbane Derby 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brisbane
  • Derby

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 Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brisbane or Derby?
Brisbane costs about 3% more than Derby, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brisbane and in Derby?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,837 in Derby. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Brisbane or Derby?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Derby, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,402 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.
How much does it cost to live in Brisbane compared to Derby?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,558 in Derby. That makes Derby about 3% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Brisbane compared to Derby?
Public transport costs about 75% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Brisbane or in Derby?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,558 in Derby, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brisbane or Derby?
It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,558 in Derby to $2,644 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Brisbane compared to Derby?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Brisbane vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?