Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Hawkesbury City

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Hawkesbury City: $2,630 and $2,689 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Hawkesbury City
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Hawkesbury City Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Hawkesbury City

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Hawkesbury City

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,689 in Hawkesbury City, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Hawkesbury City $2,689

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,905 in Hawkesbury City, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Hawkesbury City $3,905

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $5,122 in Hawkesbury City, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Hawkesbury City $5,122

Brisbane and Hawkesbury City have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Brisbane and Hawkesbury City sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Hawkesbury City by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$20.87 A$29.65

-15.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$91.2 A$130

-12.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$10.57 A$15.02

8.14%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$4.16 A$5.91

8.41%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$3.03 A$4.31

-2.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.50 A$3.55

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$8.16 A$11.60

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$9.87 A$14.02

-15.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.55 A$2.20

4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$3.28 A$4.65

-19.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.49 A$3.54

-6.83%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$5.33 A$7.58

-7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$12.88 A$18.30

-29.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$10.02 A$14.24

-8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$15.43 A$21.93

-7.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$3.98 A$5.65

4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$3.25 A$4.62

-5.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.42 A$4.86

-10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$5.09 A$7.24

-3.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$3.21 A$4.56

-12.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.88 A$4.09

-13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.59 A$3.67

-6.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.35 A$1.91

-11.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$45.11 A$64.1

-14.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$14.30 A$20.32

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$4.60 A$6.53

13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.55 A$7.88

-12.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$3.08 A$4.38

-88.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$83.6 A$119

-74.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$4.01 A$5.70

-23.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.59 A$2.26

18.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$43.30 A$61.5

-5.87%

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

$27.6K A$39.2K

7.75%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$26.1K A$37.0K

-1.74%

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

$158 A$224

$183 A$261

-13.96%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$26.52 A$37.68

-1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$56.7 A$80.6

7.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$49.31 A$70.1

24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$17.28 A$24.55

29.40%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$15.53 A$22.07

-10.17%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$2,433 A$3,457

-15.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$20.5K A$29.1K

-37.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$75.6 A$107

8.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$56.1 A$79.7

-22.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$109 A$155

4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$133 A$188

-16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,311 A$1,863

48.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,337 A$1,900

7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$2,207 A$3,135

57.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$2,025 A$2,877

10.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$6,113 A$8,686

52.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$5,191 A$7,375

34.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$4,413 A$6,270

-6.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.95

-2.35%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hawkesbury City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Hawkesbury City

$1.3K 49.7% 6.6% $94

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Hawkesbury City

$398 14.8% 9.9% $36

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Hawkesbury City

$331 12.3% 6.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Hawkesbury City

$267 9.9% 8.8% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Hawkesbury City

$168 6.2% 6.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Hawkesbury City

$80 3% 9.7% $8.7

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Hawkesbury City

$108 4% 210% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,311 in Hawkesbury City. 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 6% higher in Hawkesbury City. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane versus $91 in Hawkesbury City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $398 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Hawkesbury City

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

10:09 10:09 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

62,353

💱 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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Brisbane Hawkesbury City 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Brisbane
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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 Hawkesbury City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $4,034 in Hawkesbury City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hawkesbury City, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,311 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Hawkesbury City, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $2,433 in Hawkesbury City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,689 in Hawkesbury City. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,630 in Brisbane to $2,689 in Hawkesbury City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Brisbane. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hawkesbury City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.