Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Hilton Head Island, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,518 a month against $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hilton Head Island, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
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Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Hilton Head Island, SC

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 Hilton Head Island, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,991

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $2,726 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,726

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $2,461 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Hilton Head Island, SC $2,461

Brisbane is about 16% cheaper than Hilton Head Island, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Brisbane and Hilton Head Island, SC sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Hilton Head Island, SC by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$25.02

$20.26 $20.26

-14.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$102

$60.9 $60.9

16.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.95

$11.56 $11.56

-4.07%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$4.95 $4.95

-10.51%

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

$2.90 A$4.17

$2.94 $2.94

-1.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$1.99 $1.99

22.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$12.12

$4.87 $4.87

72.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.96

$6.07 $6.07

36.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.40

$0.76 $0.76

119.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.92

$3.28 $3.28

-17.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$3.66 $3.66

-37.43%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.94

$2.79 $2.79

72.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$9.07 $9.07

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$9.62 $9.62

-4.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.45

$13.33 $13.33

6.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.20

$4.56 $4.56

-5.48%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.41 $1.41

115.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.91 $3.91

-23.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.84

$4.53 $4.53

4.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.92

$3.01 $3.01

-9.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.37

$3.15 $3.15

-25.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$2.56 $2.56

-5.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$2.37 $2.37

-49.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.7

$9.30 $9.30

315.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$14.85 $14.85

-14.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$2.15 $2.15

151.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$3.23 $3.23

58.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.81

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.20

$1.49 $1.49

95.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.68

$1.16 $1.16

60.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$59.1

$13.92 $13.92

194.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.94 $0.94

48.94%

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

$29.7K A$42.8K

$31.7K $31.7K

-6.24%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$26.1K $26.1K

-0.55%

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

$159 A$229

$218 $218

-26.85%

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

$26.52 A$38.16

$55.2 $55.2

-51.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$87.2

$68.1 $68.1

-11.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$87.6

$19.81 $19.81

207.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.97

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.34

$14.30 $14.30

-1.12%

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

$1,952 A$2,808

$1,287 $1,287

51.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.3K

$12.2K $12.2K

4.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$120

$34.61 $34.61

140.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.9

$34.73 $34.73

25.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$163

$81.0 $81.0

39.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$160

$69.6 $69.6

59.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$2,159 $2,159

-10.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,902

$1,831 $1,831

-27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,904

$2,304 $2,304

47.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,226

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.9K

$3,567 $3,567

131.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,518

$3,528 $3,528

67.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$6,020

$3,404 $3,404

22.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.69

-13.15%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 61.2% 38.5% $509

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$352 11.8% 3% $11

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$312 10.4% 2.2% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$341 11.4% 38.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.3% 37.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$48 1.6% 45.7% $41

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.3 * 0.2% 78.8% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $2,159 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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 23% higher in Brisbane, 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 $71.0 in Brisbane versus $61.0 in Hilton Head Island, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $352 – making Hilton Head Island, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

09:31 9:31 AM

14 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

40,512

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Brisbane Hilton Head Island, SC 14,860 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Hilton Head Island, SC

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 Hilton Head Island, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilton Head Island, SC costs about 19% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Brisbane and $4,486 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,518 in Brisbane and $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $1,952 per month in Brisbane and $1,287 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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 $2,518 in Brisbane and $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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.

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