Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Gladstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Gladstone: $2,533 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Gladstone
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Gladstone Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Gladstone

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,533

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Gladstone

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,533 in Gladstone, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Gladstone $2,533

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,459 in Gladstone, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Gladstone $3,459

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,385 in Gladstone, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Gladstone $4,385

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Gladstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Brisbane and Gladstone sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Gladstone by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$17.68 A$25.13

-0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$81.1 A$115

-1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$11.89 A$16.90

-3.87%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$4.13 A$5.86

9.20%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$3.10 A$4.41

-4.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.75 A$3.91

-13.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$7.52 A$10.68

14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$9.28 A$13.19

-9.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.52 A$2.17

6.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.73 A$3.88

-2.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.30 A$3.27

0.87%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$4.85 A$6.89

1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$9.23 A$13.12

-1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$9.21 A$13.08

-0.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$14.50 A$20.60

-1.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$3.83 A$5.45

8.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$3.12 A$4.43

-1.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.30 A$4.69

-7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$4.67 A$6.64

4.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.63 A$3.74

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.38 A$3.38

4.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.61 A$2.29

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$41.88 A$59.5

-7.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$13.91 A$19.77

-9.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$4.85 A$6.90

7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.35 A$7.60

-8.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.83 A$4.02

-87.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$84.8 A$121

-75.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$4.02 A$5.71

-24.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.39 A$1.98

35.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$44.05 A$62.6

-7.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.27 A$1.80

14.17%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$26.9K A$38.2K

10.51%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$24.9K A$35.4K

2.70%

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

$158 A$224

$205 A$291

-22.95%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$27.56 A$39.16

-5.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$54.4 A$77.2

12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$56.1 A$79.7

8.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$17.63 A$25.05

26.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$13.90 A$19.76

0.36%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$1,958 A$2,783

4.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$20.4K A$28.9K

-36.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$70.3 A$100.0

17.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$62.5 A$88.8

-30.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$98.6 A$140

15.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$123 A$174

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,381 A$1,963

40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,223 A$1,737

17.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$1,370 A$1,947

154.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$1,465 A$2,082

52.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$5,583 A$7,933

66.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$4,980 A$7,076

40.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$5,599 A$7,956

-25.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.25

10.67%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Gladstone: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Gladstone

$1.2K 48.3% 14.6% $209

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Gladstone

$367 14.5% 1.5% $5.4

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Gladstone

$306 12.1% 1.4% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Gladstone

$287 11.3% 17% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Gladstone

$159 6.3% 1% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Gladstone

$84 3.3% 5.7% $5.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Gladstone

$107 4.2% 208% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,381 in Gladstone. 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 35% higher in Gladstone, 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 $81 in Gladstone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $367 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Gladstone

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

34,703

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Gladstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Gladstone, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $3,800 in Gladstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gladstone, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,381 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,533 in Gladstone. That makes Gladstone about 4% cheaper.

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

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,533 in Gladstone. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Gladstone – 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.