Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Frankston

For one person, living is cheaper in Frankston: $2,438 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Frankston
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Frankston Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Frankston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Frankston

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,438 in Frankston, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Frankston $2,438

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,403 in Frankston, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Frankston $3,403

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,369 in Frankston, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Frankston $4,369

Brisbane costs about 8% more than Frankston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Frankston sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Frankston by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.15

$15.24 A$21.76

15.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$59.8 A$85.5

33.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.32

$10.72 A$15.31

6.62%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.45

$2.74 A$3.92

64.60%

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

$2.95 A$4.22

$3.18 A$4.54

-7.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.08 A$2.97

14.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.30

$10.03 A$14.32

-14.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$6.81 A$9.72

22.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.31

$1.51 A$2.16

7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.79

$2.62 A$3.74

1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$2.06 A$2.94

12.62%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.05

$3.78 A$5.40

30.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.97

$10.62 A$15.17

-14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.03

$9.57 A$13.67

-4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.47

$7.80 A$11.13

83.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.91

$2.67 A$3.82

55.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.38

$3.16 A$4.51

-2.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.35

$2.76 A$3.94

10.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.98

$2.72 A$3.89

79.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.01

$3.04 A$4.34

-7.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.60 A$3.71

-4.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.44

$2.41 A$3.45

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.38 A$1.96

-13.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$55.0

$42.80 A$61.1

-9.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$18.06

$6.28 A$8.97

101.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.45

$3.25 A$4.64

60.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.95

$4.22 A$6.03

15.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$3.61 A$5.16

-90.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.95

$83.1 A$119

-74.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.35

$4.44 A$6.34

-31.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.70

$1.44 A$2.05

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.2

$30.55 A$43.63

33.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.15 A$1.65

26.09%

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

$29.7K A$42.4K

0.07%

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

$25.6K A$36.6K

$26.3K A$37.6K

-2.74%

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

$158 A$225

$228 A$326

-30.90%

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

$26.05 A$37.21

$10.68 A$15.26

143.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$87.3

$56.8 A$81.0

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$87.3

$57.0 A$81.4

7.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.93

$17.67 A$25.24

26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.93

$17.47 A$24.95

-20.15%

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

$2,044 A$2,919

$2,450 A$3,499

-16.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.4K

$30.4K A$43.4K

-57.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$118

$79.9 A$114

3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.3

$51.2 A$73.2

-14.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$87.9 A$126

29.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$48.59 A$69.4

128.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,776

$1,405 A$2,007

38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,044

$1,247 A$1,780

14.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,976

$2,219 A$3,169

57.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,200

$1,841 A$2,629

21.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$5,812 A$8,300

60.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$10.0K

$5,351 A$7,641

30.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,918

$4,360 A$6,227

-4.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Frankston: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Frankston

$1.2K 51.1% 12.9% $185

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Frankston

$302 12.4% 16.4% $59

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Frankston

$272 11.2% 12.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Frankston

$296 12.1% 20.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Frankston

$120 4.9% 23.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Frankston

$92 3.8% 3.2% $2.9

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Frankston

$109 4.5% 214% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,405 in Frankston. 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 5% higher in Frankston, 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 $60 in Frankston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $302 – making Frankston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Frankston

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

13:02 1:02 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

37,331

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Frankston 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Frankston

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 Frankston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 8% more than Frankston, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $3,658 in Frankston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frankston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,405 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $60 in Frankston. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,438 in Frankston to $2,630 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.