Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Grafton

For one person, living is cheaper in Grafton: $2,560 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $840 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 Grafton
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Grafton Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Grafton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Grafton

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,560 in Grafton, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Grafton $2,560

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,538 in Grafton, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Grafton $3,538

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,515 in Grafton, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Grafton $4,515

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Grafton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Grafton sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Grafton by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$17.50 A$24.86

0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$73.1 A$104

9.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$11.41 A$16.21

0.18%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$3.47 A$4.94

29.97%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.74 A$3.89

7.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.36 A$3.36

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$8.58 A$12.19

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$8.50 A$12.08

-1.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.14 A$1.62

42.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.67 A$3.80

-0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.31 A$3.28

0.43%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$3.57 A$5.07

38.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$9.04 A$12.85

0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$7.86 A$11.17

16.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$14.00 A$19.90

2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$2.73 A$3.88

51.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$1.38 A$1.96

122.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.01 A$4.28

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$4.83 A$6.86

1.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.11 A$3.00

33.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.29 A$3.26

8.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$1.72 A$2.44

40.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.09 A$1.55

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$29.82 A$42.37

29.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$5.45 A$7.75

-4.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$4.88 A$6.94

-0.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.97 A$4.22

-88.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$82.9 A$118

-74.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.04 A$4.31

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.85 A$2.63

2.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$41.17 A$58.5

-1.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.28 A$1.81

13.28%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

0.09%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$24.4K A$34.7K

4.90%

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

$158 A$224

$163 A$232

-3.48%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$26.20 A$37.23

-0.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$49.97 A$71.0

22.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$55.4 A$78.8

10.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$20.42 A$29.01

9.50%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$12.04 A$17.10

15.86%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$697 A$990

193.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$3,204 A$4,552

302.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$85.1 A$121

-3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$44.18 A$62.8

-1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$114 A$162

-0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$110 A$156

1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,379 A$1,960

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,358 A$1,929

5.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$2,572 A$3,655

35.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$1,825 A$2,593

22.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$6,229 A$8,850

49.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$4,510 A$6,408

55.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$2,467 A$3,506

67.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Grafton: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Grafton

$1.4K 53% 5.1% $74

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Grafton

$321 12.6% 11.2% $40

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Grafton

$296 11.6% 4.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Grafton

$240 9.4% 2.2% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Grafton

$159 6.2% 0.6% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Grafton

$79 3.1% 10.7% $9.6

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Grafton

$107 4.2% 208% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,379 in Grafton. 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 68% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane versus $73 in Grafton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $321 – making Grafton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Grafton

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

19,255

💱 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)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brisbane vs Grafton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Grafton, 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 $3,841 in Grafton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Grafton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,379 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $73 in Grafton. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,560 in Grafton, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Grafton – 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.

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