Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Kalgoorlie

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalgoorlie: $1,944 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Brisbane, Australia
Kalgoorlie, Australia
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,630
/mo nomad
Kalgoorlie
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,944
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Kalgoorlie

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $1,944 in Kalgoorlie, rent included.

  • Brisbane $2,630
  • Kalgoorlie $1,944

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,314 in Kalgoorlie, rent included.

  • Brisbane $3,801
  • Kalgoorlie $3,314

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,684 in Kalgoorlie, rent included.

  • Brisbane $4,972
  • Kalgoorlie $4,684

Brisbane costs about 35% more than Kalgoorlie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Brisbane and Kalgoorlie sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Kalgoorlie by 43%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.61 A$25.02
$17.45 A$24.80
0.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.0 A$114
$85.3 A$121
-6.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.43 A$16.24
$10.53 A$14.97
8.55%
Cappuccino
$4.51 A$6.41
$4.68 A$6.64
-3.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.95 A$4.20
$3.76 A$5.35
-21.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 A$3.40
$3.47 A$4.94
-31.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.61 A$12.23
$6.13 A$8.72
40.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.36 A$11.88
$7.33 A$10.42
14.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 A$2.30
$1.57 A$2.24
3.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 A$3.77
$3.46 A$4.92
-23.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.30
$2.25 A$3.20
3.11%
Eggs
$4.94 A$7.02
$4.64 A$6.59
6.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 A$12.90
$9.60 A$13.63
-5.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.12 A$12.96
$9.45 A$13.43
-3.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.34 A$20.37
$14.98 A$21.29
-4.27%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 A$5.88
$3.83 A$5.44
8.09%
Banana (1kg)
$3.07 A$4.36
$3.12 A$4.43
-1.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 A$4.33
$3.27 A$4.64
-6.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.89 A$6.94
$4.52 A$6.42
8.19%
Potato (1kg)
$2.81 A$3.99
$2.78 A$3.95
1.08%
Onion (1kg)
$2.48 A$3.52
$2.47 A$3.51
0.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 A$3.42
$2.13 A$3.02
13.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 A$1.69
$1.59 A$2.26
-25.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$38.54 A$54.8
$41.62 A$59.1
-7.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.65 A$17.97
$14.03 A$19.94
-9.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.22 A$7.41
$4.85 A$6.90
7.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.87 A$6.92
$5.22 A$7.42
-6.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.34 A$0.48
$2.81 A$4.00
-87.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.97 A$29.80
$83.1 A$118
-74.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.05 A$4.33
$3.53 A$5.02
-13.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 A$2.69
$1.69 A$2.40
11.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.76 A$57.9
$43.29 A$61.5
-5.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 A$2.06
$1.35 A$1.92
7.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K A$42.2K
$26.5K A$37.7K
12.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K A$36.4K
$28.3K A$40.3K
-9.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 A$224
$312 A$443
-49.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.05 A$37.02
$56.5 A$80.3
-53.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.1 A$86.9
$69.1 A$98.1
-11.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.2 A$86.9
$38.33 A$54.5
59.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.36 A$31.77
$18.58 A$26.40
20.34%
Cinema Ticket
$13.95 A$19.82
$17.77 A$25.26
-21.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,044 A$2,905
$2,057 A$2,923
-0.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K A$18.3K
$17.7K A$25.1K
-27.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.4 A$117
$76.9 A$109
7.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.63 A$62.0
$55.4 A$78.7
-21.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 A$161
$108 A$154
4.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 A$158
$106 A$150
4.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,944 A$2,762
$1,383 A$1,965
40.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 A$2,034
$493 A$701
190.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,484 A$4,951
$1,661 A$2,360
109.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,240 A$3,184
$1,579 A$2,244
41.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,322 A$13.2K
$6,521 A$9,266
42.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,003 A$9,951
$4,802 A$6,824
45.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brisbane
Kalgoorlie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,144 A$5,888
$6,189 A$8,793
-33.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.81
6.25
-7.04%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kalgoorlie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
$1.4K
Kalgoorlie
$493 65.5% $938
Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
$362
Kalgoorlie
$376 3.9% $14
Eating Out
Brisbane
$310
Kalgoorlie
$302 2.9% $8.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
$245
Kalgoorlie
$437 78.5% $192
Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
$158
Kalgoorlie
$156 1.2% $1.8
Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
$89
Kalgoorlie
$74 17% $15
Getting Around
Brisbane
$35
Kalgoorlie
$106 205% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,383 in Kalgoorlie. 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 49% higher in Kalgoorlie, 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $85 in Kalgoorlie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $376 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🇦🇺 Kalgoorlie
🕒 Local time
08:49 8:49 AM
06:49 6:49 AM
2 h behind Brisbane
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,287,896
29,068
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brisbane Kalgoorlie 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brisbane
  • Kalgoorlie

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 Kalgoorlie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brisbane or Kalgoorlie?
Brisbane costs about 35% more than Kalgoorlie, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brisbane and in Kalgoorlie?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $2,916 in Kalgoorlie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Brisbane or Kalgoorlie?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalgoorlie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,383 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.
Are groceries more expensive in Brisbane or in Kalgoorlie?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How do dining costs compare in Brisbane and in Kalgoorlie?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $85 in Kalgoorlie. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brisbane or Kalgoorlie?
It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,944 in Kalgoorlie to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Brisbane compared to Kalgoorlie?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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