Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Fujairah Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Fujairah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,613 per month in Brisbane vs $1,432 in Fujairah, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,966 per month in Brisbane vs $3,967 in Fujairah, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,318 per month in Brisbane vs $6,502 in Fujairah, rent included.

Brisbane costs about 82% more than Fujairah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Brisbane and Fujairah sit above the global median – Brisbane by 90%, Fujairah by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.77 A$24.66

$7.64 AED 28.05

132.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 A$115

$45.21 AED 166

82.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 A$15.86

$7.51 AED 27.58

52.06%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.15

$5.69 AED 20.90

-22.14%

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

$3.03 A$4.21

$1.10 AED 4.05

175.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 A$3.61

$0.43 AED 1.57

504.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$11.86

$8.99 AED 33.01

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.43 A$11.71

$9.64 AED 35.40

-12.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 A$2.38

$1.63 AED 6.00

5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.75

$1.32 AED 4.85

104.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.35

$1.93 AED 7.09

24.87%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.08

$2.42 AED 8.87

110.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.30 A$12.90

$12.85 AED 47.19

-27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$12.64

$9.44 AED 34.68

-3.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 A$19.62

$8.22 AED 30.18

71.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 A$5.96

$1.75 AED 6.42

145.71%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.31

$1.58 AED 5.82

96.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 A$4.12

$1.47 AED 5.40

102.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 A$6.90

$0.98 AED 3.59

407.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 A$3.99

$0.83 AED 3.05

246.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.38

$0.86 AED 3.15

183.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.53

$0.84 AED 3.09

202.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.69

$0.47 AED 1.73

159.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.99 A$55.5

$5.31 AED 19.49

653.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.69 A$17.61

$13.83 AED 50.8

-8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.38

$2.12 AED 7.79

150.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 A$7.09

$2.51 AED 9.23

103.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 A$0.48

$3.36 AED 12.34

-89.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.53 A$29.89

$40.52 AED 149

-46.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 A$4.26

$2.92 AED 10.71

5.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.55

$0.56 AED 2.05

228.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.92 A$59.6

$8.13 AED 29.87

427.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.98

$0.82 AED 3.01

74.39%

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

$27.7K A$38.5K

$25.7K AED 94.3K

8.12%

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

$29.1K A$40.4K

$20.1K AED 73.8K

45.09%

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

$172 A$239

$125 AED 458

38.12%

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

$27.89 A$38.72

$44.89 AED 165

-37.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 A$88.3

$78.5 AED 288

-19.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 A$88.3

$48.56 AED 178

30.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.02 A$29.19

$13.83 AED 50.8

51.99%

Cinema Ticket

$16.39 A$22.76

$11.02 AED 40.48

48.73%

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

$2,166 A$3,007

$255 AED 938

748.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K A$18.1K

$4,525 AED 16.6K

188.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 A$119

$21.46 AED 78.8

298.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.31 A$61.5

$13.66 AED 50.2

224.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$161

$76.3 AED 280

51.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$61.8 AED 227

76.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 A$2,769

$599 AED 2,200

232.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 A$1,952

$541 AED 1,986

160.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,433 A$4,766

$5,180 AED 19.0K

-33.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,404 A$3,337

$4,718 AED 17.3K

-49.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,276 A$11.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,834 A$8,099

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,250 A$5,899

$3,663 AED 13.5K

16.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

2.5

134.00%

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

Last update for Brisbane: August 31, 2026

Last update for Fujairah: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,995 in Brisbane versus $599 in Fujairah. 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 16% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Brisbane versus $45.00 in Fujairah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $243 – making Fujairah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Fujairah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 82% more than Fujairah, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,919 per month in Brisbane and $2,148 in Fujairah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fujairah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Brisbane and $45.00 in Fujairah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fujairah, where all-in costs run around $1,432, than in Brisbane at $2,613. In Fujairah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Fujairah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.