Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and East Lansing, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in East Lansing, MI: $2,399 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in East Lansing, MI
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East Lansing, MI Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

East Lansing, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,399

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in East Lansing, MI

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 East Lansing, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,399 in East Lansing, MI, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
East Lansing, MI $2,399

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,525 in East Lansing, MI, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
East Lansing, MI $3,525

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,651 in East Lansing, MI, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
East Lansing, MI $4,651

Brisbane costs about 10% more than East Lansing, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Brisbane and East Lansing, MI sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, East Lansing, MI by 76%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.13

$16.35 $16.35

7.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$76.2 $76.2

4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.31

$12.14 $12.14

-5.85%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.44

$5.49 $5.49

-17.85%

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

$2.95 A$4.22

$2.48 $2.48

18.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.15 $2.15

11.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.29

$4.92 $4.92

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.93

$6.49 $6.49

28.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.31

$0.79 $0.79

105.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.78

$3.07 $3.07

-13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$4.65 $4.65

-50.11%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.05

$2.59 $2.59

90.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.96

$10.87 $10.87

-16.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.02

$16.92 $16.92

-46.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.46

$16.43 $16.43

-12.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.91

$5.54 $5.54

-25.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.38

$1.52 $1.52

101.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.35

$6.78 $6.78

-55.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.97

$3.54 $3.54

38.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.01

$5.87 $5.87

-52.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.54

$5.64 $5.64

-56.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.44

$2.19 $2.19

10.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$3.81 $3.81

-68.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$55.0

$10.22 $10.22

277.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$18.05

$16.11 $16.11

-21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.44

$1.97 $1.97

164.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.95

$1.52 $1.52

220.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$1.66 $1.66

-79.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.93

$50.2 $50.2

-58.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.35

$9.87 $9.87

-69.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.70

$3.13 $3.13

-39.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.2

$10.12 $10.12

302.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.00 $1.00

45.00%

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

$29.7K A$42.4K

$30.5K $30.5K

-2.45%

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

$25.6K A$36.5K

$25.4K $25.4K

0.82%

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

$158 A$225

$233 $233

-32.43%

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

$26.05 A$37.19

$64.0 $64.0

-59.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$87.3

$63.8 $63.8

-4.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$87.3

$36.43 $36.43

67.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.91

$15.06 $15.06

48.47%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.91

$12.72 $12.72

9.67%

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

$2,044 A$2,918

$645 $645

216.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.4K

$11.1K $11.1K

15.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$118

$54.3 $54.3

51.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.3

$37.61 $37.61

16.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$70.8 $70.8

60.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$85.3 $85.3

30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,774

$1,200 $1,200

61.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,043

$1,049 $1,049

36.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,973

$2,085 $2,085

67.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,198

$1,696 $1,696

32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$1,588 $1,588

486.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,996

$1,592 $1,592

340.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,915

$6,170 $6,170

-32.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.56

-11.43%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

East Lansing, MI

$1K 43.7% 26.7% $383

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

East Lansing, MI

$444 18.5% 22.8% $83

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

East Lansing, MI

$289 12.1% 6.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

East Lansing, MI

$361 15.1% 47.5% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

East Lansing, MI

$112 4.7% 29.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

East Lansing, MI

$62 2.6% 30.5% $27

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

East Lansing, MI

$82 3.4% 137% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,200 in East Lansing, MI. 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 49% higher in East Lansing, MI, 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $76 in East Lansing, MI. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $444 in East Lansing, MI – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

09:33 9:33 AM

15 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

47,741

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.628 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane East Lansing, MI 14,630 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
East Lansing, MI

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 East Lansing, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 10% more than East Lansing, MI, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 $3,599 in East Lansing, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East Lansing, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,200 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 19% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $76 in East Lansing, MI. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,399 in East Lansing, MI, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.