Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Hervey Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Hervey Bay: $2,395 a month against $2,520 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Hervey Bay
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Hervey Bay Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,395

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Hervey Bay

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,395 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Hervey Bay $2,395

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $3,441 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Hervey Bay $3,441

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $4,487 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Hervey Bay $4,487

Brisbane costs about 5% more than Hervey Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Hervey Bay sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Hervey Bay by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.29

$17.74 A$25.52

-0.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$101

$70.4 A$101

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.09

$10.71 A$15.42

4.39%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.13

$3.72 A$5.35

14.52%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.89 A$4.17

-0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.60

$2.28 A$3.29

9.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$5.82 A$8.38

46.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.66

$8.27 A$11.90

-2.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.61 A$2.32

0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.83

$2.62 A$3.76

1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.17

$2.23 A$3.21

-1.35%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.10

$4.87 A$7.00

1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$9.25 A$13.31

-2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.94

$14.11 A$20.31

-1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.92

$4.15 A$5.97

-0.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.09 A$4.45

-2.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.18

$2.88 A$4.15

1.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$7.01

$4.94 A$7.11

-1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.95

$2.86 A$4.11

-4.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.51

$2.35 A$3.38

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.29 A$3.29

4.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.76

$1.23 A$1.78

-0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.9

$37.81 A$54.4

2.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.78

$12.31 A$17.72

0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$5.17 A$7.44

-0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.04

$5.13 A$7.38

-4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.95 A$4.24

-87.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

$78.8 A$113

-73.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.39

$3.03 A$4.35

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.78 A$2.56

-0.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$59.2

$41.31 A$59.4

-0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.45 A$2.09

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$26.9K A$38.7K

-0.73%

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

$27.8K A$39.9K

$28.4K A$40.9K

-2.39%

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

$159 A$228

$159 A$229

-0.11%

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

$25.86 A$37.21

$25.97 A$37.37

-0.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.8

$59.6 A$85.8

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$89.1

$58.1 A$83.6

6.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.93

$19.78 A$28.46

15.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$25.06

$17.66 A$25.41

-1.42%

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

$1,928 A$2,774

$1,949 A$2,804

-1.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$12.3K A$17.7K

2.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

$62.2 A$89.5

35.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.5

$44.70 A$64.3

0.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$159

$61.9 A$89.1

78.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

$62.2 A$89.5

75.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,773

$1,391 A$2,001

38.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,906

$1,206 A$1,736

9.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,714

$2,157 A$3,104

51.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,261

$1,825 A$2,627

24.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$12.0K

$5,692 A$8,191

46.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,569

$5,053 A$7,271

17.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

$2,791 A$4,016

46.90%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Hervey Bay: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Hervey Bay

$1.2K 50.4% 9% $119

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Hervey Bay

$359 15% 0.6% $2.1

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Hervey Bay

$285 11.9% 6.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Hervey Bay

$245 10.2% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Hervey Bay

$104 4.3% 33.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Hervey Bay

$93 3.9% 3.4% $3.3

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Hervey Bay

$103 4.3% 201% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,391 in Hervey Bay. 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 47% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Brisbane versus $70.0 in Hervey Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $359 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Hervey Bay

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

57,722

💱 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

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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 Hervey Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 5% more than Hervey Bay, 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 $3,592 in Hervey Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Brisbane – 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 $70.0 in Hervey Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hervey Bay, where all-in costs run around $2,395, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Hervey Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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