Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Double Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $2,715 in Double Bay, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. The total is higher in Double Bay despite lower rent and utilities.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Double Bay
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Double Bay Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Double Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Double 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 Double Bay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,715 in Double Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Double Bay $2,715

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,760 in Double Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Double Bay $3,760

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,804 in Double Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Double Bay $4,804

Brisbane is about 3% cheaper than Double Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Double Bay sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Double Bay by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$24.94

$17.62 A$24.96

-0.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$113

$88.7 A$126

-9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.19

$10.49 A$14.86

8.96%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.39

$4.06 A$5.75

11.08%

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

$2.95 A$4.18

$2.77 A$3.93

6.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.39

$2.23 A$3.16

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.20

$8.23 A$11.67

4.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.84

$7.24 A$10.26

15.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.51 A$2.14

7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$2.82 A$4.00

-6.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.41 A$3.42

-3.73%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.00

$5.22 A$7.40

-5.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.86

$11.96 A$16.94

-24.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.92

$9.33 A$13.21

-2.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.31

$15.10 A$21.39

-5.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.86

$4.05 A$5.73

2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.35

$3.22 A$4.56

-4.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.41 A$4.83

-10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.92

$4.23 A$6.00

15.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$3.18 A$4.50

-11.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$2.50 A$3.54

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.32 A$3.29

3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.21 A$1.71

-1.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.6

$44.37 A$62.9

-13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.92

$13.95 A$19.76

-9.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.39

$4.04 A$5.72

29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$4.17 A$5.91

16.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.85 A$4.04

-88.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.71

$95.0 A$135

-77.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.43 A$4.86

-11.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.68

$1.59 A$2.25

18.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.7

$40.34 A$57.2

1.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.31 A$1.86

10.69%

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

$29.7K A$42.1K

$28.4K A$40.3K

4.54%

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

$25.6K A$36.3K

$26.0K A$36.8K

-1.41%

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

$158 A$223

$181 A$257

-12.99%

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

$26.05 A$36.91

$27.08 A$38.36

-3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.6

$56.2 A$79.6

8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.6

$63.6 A$90.1

-3.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.67

$16.23 A$22.99

37.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.76

$15.82 A$22.42

-11.82%

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

$2,044 A$2,896

$2,311 A$3,273

-11.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$20.3K A$28.8K

-36.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$77.0 A$109

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$61.8

$56.5 A$80.0

-22.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$109 A$155

3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$157

$129 A$183

-14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,754

$1,338 A$1,896

45.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,028

$1,403 A$1,987

2.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,936

$2,300 A$3,259

51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,174

$1,807 A$2,560

23.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$5,555 A$7,869

67.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,921

$4,323 A$6,124

62.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,871

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.92

-1.86%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Double Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Double Bay

$1.4K 51.7% 2% $29

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Double Bay

$371 13.7% 2.5% $8.9

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Double Bay

$297 10.9% 4.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Double Bay

$265 9.7% 8% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Double Bay

$167 6.2% 6.1% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Double Bay

$95 3.5% 6.9% $6.2

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Double Bay

$118 4.3% 238% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,338 in Double Bay. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $89 in Double Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $371 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Double Bay

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

4,651

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Double Bay 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Double 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 Double Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Double Bay costs about 3% 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 $4,073 in Double Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Double Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,338 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,715 in Double Bay. That makes Brisbane about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $2,311 in Double Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,715 in Double Bay. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,630 in Brisbane to $2,715 in Double Bay. 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.