Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Lake Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Macquarie: $2,232 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
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Lake Macquarie Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Lake Macquarie

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,232 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Lake Macquarie $2,232

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,565 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Lake Macquarie $3,565

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,898 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Lake Macquarie $4,898

Brisbane costs about 18% more than Lake Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Lake Macquarie sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Lake Macquarie by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.44

$17.16 A$24.50

3.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$85.5 A$122

-0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.10

$10.54 A$15.05

7.02%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.35

$3.43 A$4.90

29.74%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.10 A$4.43

-9.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.50

$2.16 A$3.08

13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.28

$7.08 A$10.11

21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.95

$7.09 A$10.13

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$1.18 A$1.69

49.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$1.46 A$2.08

76.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$1.65 A$2.36

32.12%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.06

$3.31 A$4.73

49.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.68

$8.13 A$11.61

17.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.87

$7.69 A$10.98

17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.99

$12.72 A$18.16

10.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.01

$2.90 A$4.14

45.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.58 A$3.69

23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.99

$2.44 A$3.48

14.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.89

$3.76 A$5.37

28.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.29 A$3.28

22.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.04 A$2.92

15.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$1.70 A$2.43

38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.55 A$2.21

-23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.8

$29.24 A$41.75

33.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.33

$8.27 A$11.81

55.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.53

$2.80 A$3.99

88.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.01

$2.41 A$3.44

103.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.68 A$3.83

-86.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.54

$85.5 A$122

-74.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.72

$2.02 A$2.89

29.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$3.21 A$4.58

-41.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.5

$57.8 A$82.5

-27.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.32 A$1.88

12.12%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$27.9K A$39.8K

4.13%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$24.2K A$34.6K

7.12%

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

$160 A$228

$241 A$344

-33.72%

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

$26.65 A$38.07

$11.27 A$16.09

136.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.5

$42.80 A$61.1

43.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.2

$55.3 A$78.9

10.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.36

$17.43 A$24.90

30.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.20

$9.53 A$13.60

48.48%

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

$1,982 A$2,830

$1,528 A$2,182

29.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$18.8K A$26.8K

43.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$122

$68.8 A$98.2

23.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.2

$36.60 A$52.3

26.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$97.3 A$139

14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$111 A$159

-1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,795

$1,396 A$1,994

40.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,058

$1,049 A$1,497

37.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,971

$2,231 A$3,186

56.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,190

$2,250 A$3,213

-0.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$5,806 A$8,292

64.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,908

$4,928 A$7,038

40.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,904

$4,974 A$7,103

-16.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.35

34.25%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Lake Macquarie: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Lake Macquarie

$1K 47% 27.3% $393

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Lake Macquarie

$277 12.4% 23.3% $84

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Lake Macquarie

$281 12.6% 9.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Lake Macquarie

$295 13.2% 19.2% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Lake Macquarie

$141 6.3% 10.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Lake Macquarie

$74 3.3% 16.8% $15

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Lake Macquarie

$114 5.1% 228% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,396 in Lake Macquarie. 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 20% higher in Lake Macquarie, 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 $85 in Brisbane versus $85 in Lake Macquarie. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $277 in Lake Macquarie – so Lake Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

1,059

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Brisbane Lake Macquarie 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brisbane vs Lake Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 18% more than Lake Macquarie, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,347 in Lake Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Macquarie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,396 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,232 in Lake Macquarie. That makes Lake Macquarie about 16% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $1,528 in Lake Macquarie. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lake Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,232, than in Brisbane at $2,644. In Lake Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lake Macquarie – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.