Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Karratha

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Karratha: $2,518 and $2,473 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Karratha
Learn more

Karratha Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Karratha

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Karratha

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $2,473 in Karratha, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Karratha $2,473

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $3,581 in Karratha, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Karratha $3,581

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $4,690 in Karratha, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Karratha $4,690

Brisbane costs about 2% more than Karratha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Karratha sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Karratha by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$24.70

$17.59 A$24.99

-1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$101

$82.6 A$117

-14.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.75

$10.31 A$14.66

7.57%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.30

$3.88 A$5.52

14.18%

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

$2.90 A$4.12

$2.83 A$4.02

2.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.45

$2.19 A$3.11

10.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$11.97

$7.54 A$10.72

11.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.81

$7.58 A$10.77

9.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.37

$1.52 A$2.16

9.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.87

$2.72 A$3.86

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.25

$2.26 A$3.21

1.33%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.85

$4.83 A$6.86

-0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$12.87

$9.42 A$13.39

-3.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.05

$9.43 A$13.39

-2.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.19

$14.89 A$21.15

-4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$3.97 A$5.65

8.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.32

$3.11 A$4.42

-2.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$3.29 A$4.68

-8.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.75

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.87

$2.81 A$3.99

-3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.32

$2.39 A$3.40

-2.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.33 A$3.31

3.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.47 A$2.09

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.0

$41.46 A$58.9

-6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$17.98

$13.65 A$19.39

-7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.67

$4.76 A$6.76

13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.28

$5.35 A$7.60

-4.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$2.89 A$4.11

-87.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.44

$82.2 A$117

-74.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.15

$3.38 A$4.81

-13.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.64

$1.58 A$2.24

17.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$58.3

$39.46 A$56.1

4.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$1.99

$1.36 A$1.94

2.94%

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

$29.7K A$42.3K

$27.0K A$38.3K

10.28%

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

$26.0K A$36.9K

$29.6K A$42.1K

-12.32%

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

$159 A$226

$202 A$286

-21.06%

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

$26.52 A$37.68

$27.87 A$39.60

-4.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$86.1

$55.4 A$78.7

9.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$86.5

$56.7 A$80.6

7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.57

$17.66 A$25.10

25.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.08

$14.78 A$21.00

-4.33%

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

$1,952 A$2,773

$2,176 A$3,091

-10.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$20.4K A$29.0K

-37.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$118

$77.6 A$110

7.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.1

$54.7 A$77.7

-20.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$108 A$153

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$120 A$171

-7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,755

$1,391 A$1,976

39.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,878

$1,176 A$1,671

12.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,842

$2,113 A$3,003

61.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,186

$1,779 A$2,527

26.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.8K

$5,861 A$8,328

41.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,411

$4,940 A$7,020

19.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$5,944

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.84

-0.51%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karratha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Karratha

$1.2K 47.5% 11.1% $146

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Karratha

$368 14.9% 1.4% $5.2

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Karratha

$291 11.8% 4.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Karratha

$285 11.5% 15.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Karratha

$162 6.6% 2.6% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Karratha

$86 3.5% 3.2% $2.9

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Karratha

$105 4.3% 205% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $1,391 in Karratha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Brisbane versus $83 in Karratha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $368 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Karratha

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

02:30 2:30 AM

2 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

17,013

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Karratha 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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 Karratha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 2% more than Karratha, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,710 in Karratha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karratha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,391 there versus $1,939 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,518 in Brisbane and $2,473 in Karratha. That’s a gap of about 2%.

Kindergarten costs $1,952 per month in Brisbane and $2,176 in Karratha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,518 in Brisbane and $2,473 in Karratha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,473 in Karratha to $2,518 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.