Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Gold Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $2,922 in Gold Coast, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Gold Coast
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Gold Coast Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Gold Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Gold Coast

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,922 in Gold Coast, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Gold Coast $2,922

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $4,497 in Gold Coast, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Gold Coast $4,497

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $6,073 in Gold Coast, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Gold Coast $6,073

Brisbane is about 10% cheaper than Gold Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Gold Coast sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Gold Coast by 115%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$20.81 A$29.57

-15.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$105 A$149

-23.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$10.62 A$15.08

7.63%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$3.76 A$5.34

19.95%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.83 A$4.01

4.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.46 A$3.50

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$7.77 A$11.04

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$7.51 A$10.68

11.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.57 A$2.22

3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.65 A$3.76

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.36 A$3.35

-1.69%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$4.90 A$6.97

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$9.09 A$12.92

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$9.50 A$13.50

-4.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$14.71 A$20.90

-2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$3.95 A$5.61

4.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$3.19 A$4.53

-3.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.47 A$4.93

-12.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$4.16 A$5.91

17.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.59 A$3.67

8.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.45 A$3.47

-1.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$2.32 A$3.29

-48.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$45.55 A$64.7

-15.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$14.19 A$20.16

-10.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$5.73 A$8.14

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$6.73 A$9.56

-27.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.73 A$3.88

-87.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$56.0 A$79.6

-62.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$2.22 A$3.15

37.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.65 A$2.34

14.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$36.90 A$52.4

10.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.38 A$1.96

5.07%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$29.2K A$41.5K

1.76%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$26.6K A$37.8K

-3.82%

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

$158 A$224

$218 A$310

-27.67%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$31.16 A$44.28

-16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$54.4 A$77.3

12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$60.7 A$86.2

0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$17.58 A$24.98

27.19%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$13.50 A$19.18

3.33%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$2,134 A$3,032

-4.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$12.1K A$17.2K

6.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$76.3 A$108

7.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$53.6 A$76.1

-18.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$106 A$150

7.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$124 A$176

-10.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$2,293 A$3,258

-15.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,588 A$2,256

-9.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$3,278 A$4,658

6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$2,998 A$4,260

-25.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$10.8K A$15.4K

-13.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$7,117 A$10.1K

-1.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$4,118 A$5,851

0.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.69

2.11%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Gold Coast: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Gold Coast

$1.6K 54.4% 10.9% $157

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Gold Coast

$384 13.2% 6.3% $23

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Gold Coast

$318 10.9% 2.6% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Gold Coast

$304 10.4% 24% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Gold Coast

$162 5.5% 2.7% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Gold Coast

$88 3% 1.5% $1.4

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Gold Coast

$77 2.7% 122% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $2,293 in Gold Coast. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $105 in Gold Coast. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $384 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Gold Coast

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

607,665

💱 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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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 Gold Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gold Coast costs about 11% 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 $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $4,382 in Gold Coast. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,944 there versus $2,293 in Gold Coast.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Gold Coast, 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 $80 in Brisbane and $105 in Gold Coast. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,922 in Gold Coast. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

For expats, Brisbane is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 11% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.