Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Forbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Forbes: $2,530 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Forbes

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,530 in Forbes, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Forbes $2,530

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,647 in Forbes, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Forbes $3,647

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,764 in Forbes, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Forbes $4,764

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Forbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Forbes sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Forbes by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.42

$17.25 A$24.62

3.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$84.4 A$120

1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.09

$10.54 A$15.04

7.02%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.35

$4.05 A$5.78

9.88%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.90 A$4.13

-3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.49

$2.22 A$3.16

10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.28

$7.75 A$11.06

10.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$7.45 A$10.64

12.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$1.52 A$2.17

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$2.71 A$3.87

-5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.24 A$3.20

-2.68%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.06

$5.06 A$7.22

-2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.67

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.86

$9.16 A$13.08

-1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.98

$14.47 A$20.65

-3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.01

$3.69 A$5.27

14.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$3.04 A$4.34

4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.99

$3.28 A$4.68

-14.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.89

$4.71 A$6.72

2.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.77 A$3.95

1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.39 A$3.41

-1.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.33 A$3.32

1.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.53 A$2.19

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.8

$42.64 A$60.9

-8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.32

$14.23 A$20.31

-9.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.53

$4.78 A$6.82

10.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.01

$5.21 A$7.44

-5.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.77 A$3.95

-87.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.52

$85.2 A$122

-74.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.72

$3.56 A$5.08

-26.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.63 A$2.32

15.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.5

$40.80 A$58.2

2.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.32 A$1.88

12.12%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$29.2K A$41.7K

-0.81%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$26.1K A$37.3K

-0.82%

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

$160 A$228

$212 A$302

-24.62%

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

$26.65 A$38.04

$27.83 A$39.72

-4.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.4

$57.0 A$81.4

7.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.2

$56.1 A$80.1

8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.34

$17.97 A$25.64

26.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.19

$14.18 A$20.24

-0.21%

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

$1,982 A$2,829

$2,134 A$3,045

-7.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$20.0K A$28.6K

34.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$76.2 A$109

11.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.2

$54.2 A$77.3

-14.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$106 A$152

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$123 A$175

-10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,793

$1,386 A$1,979

41.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,057

$1,220 A$1,742

18.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,968

$2,234 A$3,189

55.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,188

$1,836 A$2,620

21.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$5,936 A$8,472

61.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,903

$4,932 A$7,039

40.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,901

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 Forbes: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Forbes

$1.2K 48.2% 15.3% $221

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Forbes

$366 14.5% 1.3% $4.8

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Forbes

$292 11.6% 5.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Forbes

$297 11.7% 19.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Forbes

$162 6.4% 2.1% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Forbes

$84 3.3% 5.5% $4.9

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Forbes

$108 4.3% 210% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,386 in Forbes. 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 Forbes. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $366 in Forbes – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Forbes

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

8,481

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Brisbane Forbes 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Forbes

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 Forbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Forbes, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,795 in Forbes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Forbes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,386 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,530 in Forbes. That makes Forbes about 4% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,530 in Forbes, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,530 in Forbes 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.