Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Geelong

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Geelong: $2,520 and $2,602 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Geelong
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Geelong Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Geelong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Geelong

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,602 in Geelong, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Geelong $2,602

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $3,495 in Geelong, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Geelong $3,495

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $4,387 in Geelong, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Geelong $4,387

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

Both Brisbane and Geelong sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Geelong by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.29

$17.56 A$25.27

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$101

$82.2 A$118

-14.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.09

$10.29 A$14.80

8.65%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.13

$3.80 A$5.47

12.11%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.80 A$4.03

2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.60

$2.16 A$3.10

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$6.53 A$9.39

30.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.66

$7.85 A$11.30

3.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.55 A$2.23

4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.83

$2.54 A$3.65

4.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.17

$1.87 A$2.70

17.65%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.10

$4.27 A$6.14

15.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$7.75 A$11.15

16.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

$9.66 A$13.90

-6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.94

$15.35 A$22.08

-9.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.92

$4.12 A$5.92

-0.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$2.92 A$4.20

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.18

$2.90 A$4.18

0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$7.01

$3.23 A$4.65

50.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.95

$3.06 A$4.40

-10.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.51

$2.17 A$3.12

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.07 A$2.98

15.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.76

$1.55 A$2.24

-21.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.9

$45.24 A$65.1

-14.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.78

$12.64 A$18.19

-2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$3.78 A$5.45

35.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.04

$2.96 A$4.27

65.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$7.45 A$10.72

-95.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

$128 A$184

-83.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.39

$4.45 A$6.41

-31.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.36 A$1.96

30.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$59.2

$29.97 A$43.12

37.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.29 A$1.85

12.40%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$28.0K A$40.2K

-4.48%

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

$27.8K A$39.9K

$26.3K A$37.9K

5.43%

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

$159 A$228

$155 A$222

2.69%

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

$25.86 A$37.21

$25.90 A$37.28

-0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.8

$56.5 A$81.3

6.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$89.1

$55.7 A$80.1

11.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.93

$15.25 A$21.95

50.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$25.06

$12.72 A$18.30

36.87%

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

$1,928 A$2,774

$2,138 A$3,076

-9.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$29.6K A$42.6K

-57.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

$79.5 A$114

6.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.5

$48.93 A$70.4

-8.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$159

$94.0 A$135

17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

$105 A$151

4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,773

$1,264 A$1,818

52.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,906

$1,343 A$1,933

-1.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,714

$1,717 A$2,471

90.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,261

$1,506 A$2,167

50.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$12.0K

$6,557 A$9,436

26.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,569

$5,281 A$7,600

12.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

$3,086 A$4,441

32.85%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Geelong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Geelong

$1.3K 51.6% 1.4% $19

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Geelong

$340 13.1% 5% $18

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Geelong

$285 11% 6.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Geelong

$237 9.1% 3.2% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Geelong

$147 5.7% 6.2% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Geelong

$81 3.1% 16.2% $16

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Geelong

$169 6.5% 396% $135

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,264 in Geelong. 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 33% higher in Brisbane, 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 $70.0 in Brisbane versus $82.0 in Geelong. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Brisbane vs $340 in Geelong – so Geelong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Geelong

🕒 Local time

18:41 6:41 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

180,239

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Geelong 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Geelong

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 Geelong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geelong 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 $3,781 per month in Brisbane and $3,904 in Geelong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Geelong – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Brisbane and $82.0 in Geelong. 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 Brisbane, where all-in costs run around $2,520, than in Geelong at $2,602. In Brisbane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geelong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – 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 Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geelong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.