Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Launceston, Australia

Name: Launceston
Address: Launceston, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Launceston: $1,980 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Launceston
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Launceston Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Launceston

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,980

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Launceston

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $1,980 in Launceston, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Launceston $1,980

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $2,837 in Launceston, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Launceston $2,837

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $3,693 in Launceston, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Launceston $3,693

Brisbane costs about 33% more than Launceston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Launceston sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Launceston by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.50

$17.76 A$25.42

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$73.4 A$105

16.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.14

$8.22 A$11.76

37.23%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.37

$3.29 A$4.71

35.26%

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

$2.80 A$4.01

$1.44 A$2.05

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.51

$2.23 A$3.20

9.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.31

$6.15 A$8.80

39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.97

$7.10 A$10.16

17.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.52

$1.80 A$2.57

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.67

$2.48 A$3.55

3.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.13

$1.23 A$1.77

77.24%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.08

$3.67 A$5.25

34.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.71

$9.85 A$14.10

-2.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.90

$8.47 A$12.13

6.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$20.04

$10.32 A$14.77

35.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.03

$2.74 A$3.92

53.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.55

$2.78 A$3.97

14.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$4.00

$2.77 A$3.96

0.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.91

$4.72 A$6.76

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.01

$2.04 A$2.92

37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.37

$1.42 A$2.04

66.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.38

$2.55 A$3.65

-7.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$0.53 A$0.76

124.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$56.0

$35.52 A$50.9

10.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.37

$14.68 A$21.01

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.55

$5.09 A$7.28

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.03

$5.59 A$8.01

-12.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$3.51 A$5.03

-89.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.73

$3.89 A$5.56

-32.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.69

$1.75 A$2.50

7.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.6

$31.75 A$45.46

31.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.26 A$1.80

17.46%

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

$29.0K A$41.5K

$28.8K A$41.3K

0.63%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

$34.0K A$48.7K

-23.87%

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

$160 A$229

$223 A$319

-28.40%

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

$26.65 A$38.16

$29.26 A$41.89

-8.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.7

$54.7 A$78.3

11.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.4

$48.98 A$70.1

24.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.43

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.25

$17.13 A$24.51

-17.40%

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

$1,982 A$2,837

$1,998 A$2,861

-0.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.4K

$18.5K A$26.5K

44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$122

$78.7 A$113

8.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.4

$54.8 A$78.5

-15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$105 A$151

5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$157

$127 A$182

-13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,802

$1,153 A$1,650

69.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,063

$811 A$1,161

77.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,983

$1,623 A$2,323

114.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,197

$1,137 A$1,628

96.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,932

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,918

$6,723 A$9,624

-38.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

-2.67%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Launceston: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Launceston

$811 41% 43.7% $630

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Launceston

$322 16.3% 11% $40

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Launceston

$266 13.4% 14.4% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Launceston

$307 15.5% 24% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Launceston

$165 8.3% 3.9% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Launceston

$83 4.2% 6.9% $6.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Launceston

$27 * 1.4% 23.4% $8.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,153 in Launceston. 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 63% higher in Launceston, 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 $73 in Launceston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $322 – making Launceston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Launceston

🕒 Local time

02:15 2:15 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

80,943

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Launceston 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Launceston

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 Launceston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 33% more than Launceston, 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 $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $2,970 in Launceston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Launceston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,153 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $1,980 in Launceston. That makes Launceston about 25% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $1,998 in Launceston. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,980 in Launceston to $2,644 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.