Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Katoomba

For one person, living is cheaper in Katoomba: $2,409 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Katoomba
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Katoomba Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Katoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Katoomba

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,409 in Katoomba, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Katoomba $2,409

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,467 in Katoomba, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Katoomba $3,467

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,526 in Katoomba, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Katoomba $4,526

Brisbane costs about 9% more than Katoomba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Katoomba sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Katoomba by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.04

$17.30 A$24.60

1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$85.8 A$122

-6.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.25

$10.49 A$14.92

8.96%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.42

$3.15 A$4.47

43.17%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.72 A$3.87

8.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.06 A$2.93

16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.24

$6.44 A$9.15

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.89

$8.65 A$12.30

-3.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.56 A$2.21

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$3.26 A$4.64

-18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.54 A$3.61

-8.66%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$5.26 A$7.47

-6.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.91

$13.18 A$18.74

-31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.97

$9.65 A$13.72

-5.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.38

$15.42 A$21.93

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.89

$4.09 A$5.82

1.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$3.10 A$4.40

-0.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.53 A$5.03

-13.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.95

$5.13 A$7.29

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.00

$3.21 A$4.56

-12.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.87 A$4.08

-13.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.54 A$3.61

-5.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.35 A$1.93

-11.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$45.57 A$64.8

-15.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.98

$13.79 A$19.60

-8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$4.65 A$6.61

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.63 A$8.01

-13.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.47 A$3.51

-86.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.82

$77.8 A$111

-73.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.34

$4.00 A$5.69

-23.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.66 A$2.35

13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.0

$42.48 A$60.4

-4.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.33 A$1.89

9.02%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$28.6K A$40.7K

3.89%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$26.4K A$37.5K

-2.90%

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

$158 A$224

$186 A$265

-15.32%

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

$26.05 A$37.04

$26.42 A$37.57

-1.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$56.3 A$80.1

8.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$61.7 A$87.7

-0.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.79

$17.36 A$24.69

28.80%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.84

$15.98 A$22.72

-12.70%

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

$2,044 A$2,907

$2,503 A$3,559

-18.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$20.3K A$28.9K

-36.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$76.1 A$108

8.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$55.8 A$79.3

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$109 A$154

4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$133 A$189

-16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,764

$1,604 A$2,280

21.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,035

$1,106 A$1,572

29.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,954

$2,208 A$3,139

57.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,186

$1,560 A$2,218

43.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$5,535 A$7,869

68.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,957

$5,242 A$7,453

33.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,892

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 Katoomba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Katoomba

$1.1K 45.9% 22.8% $326

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Katoomba

$396 16.5% 9.5% $34

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Katoomba

$276 11.5% 11% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Katoomba

$269 11.2% 9.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Katoomba

$168 7% 6.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Katoomba

$94 3.9% 5.1% $4.6

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Katoomba

$100 4.2% 187% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,604 in Katoomba. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $86 in Katoomba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $396 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Katoomba

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

8,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brisbane Katoomba 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min 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 Katoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 9% more than Katoomba, 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 $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,613 in Katoomba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Katoomba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,604 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $86 in Katoomba. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,409 in Katoomba, 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 $2,409 in Katoomba to $2,630 in Brisbane. 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.