Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,300 per month in Brisbane vs $2,243 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,347 per month in Brisbane vs $3,315 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,395 per month in Brisbane vs $4,387 in Lisbon, rent included.

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Brisbane and Lisbon sit above the global median – Brisbane by 72%, Lisbon by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$22.66

$15.73 €13.36

3.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.0 A$100

$63.2 €53.6

14.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 A$13.24

$10.32 €8.76

-7.66%

Cappuccino

$3.69 A$5.13

$2.81 €2.39

31.32%

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

$2.74 A$3.81

$2.33 €1.98

17.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 A$2.96

$1.51 €1.28

41.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 A$9.28

$3.37 €2.86

98.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$10.94

$3.91 €3.32

101.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 A$2.22

$1.08 €0.92

48.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.21

$1.75 €1.49

32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 A$2.54

$1.75 €1.49

4.57%

Eggs

$4.50 A$6.26

$3.10 €2.63

45.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 A$11.70

$13.28 €11.27

-36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 A$11.43

$7.85 €6.66

4.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 A$18.72

$16.05 €13.63

-16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 A$4.71

$2.39 €2.03

41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.02

$1.72 €1.46

68.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.63

$1.97 €1.67

32.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 A$5.88

$2.55 €2.16

65.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.49

$1.79 €1.52

40.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.17

$1.97 €1.68

15.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.09

$1.96 €1.67

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 A$1.80

$0.84 €0.71

54.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.02 A$44.51

$6.82 €5.79

369.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.31 A$19.90

$5.85 €4.97

144.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.71 A$6.55

$1.38 €1.17

241.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.71

$2.92 €2.48

40.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.29 €1.94

-85.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.34 A$38.01

$46.88 €39.80

-41.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 A$3.23

$4.12 €3.50

-43.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.22

$0.81 €0.69

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.04 A$47.31

$18.94 €16.08

79.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.72

$2.09 €1.77

-41.15%

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

$28.4K A$39.4K

$35.1K €29.8K

-19.21%

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

$22.6K A$31.4K

$39.7K €33.7K

-43.20%

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

$147 A$205

$150 €127

-1.61%

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

$25.93 A$36.04

$20.49 €17.40

26.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 A$75.4

$39.15 €33.24

38.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.36 A$68.6

$49.65 €42.15

-0.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.40 A$24.19

$18.47 €15.69

-5.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.21 A$18.36

$9.20 €7.81

43.59%

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

$1,595 A$2,217

$624 €530

155.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,929 A$12.4K

$15.9K €13.5K

-43.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 A$99.6

$102 €86.7

-29.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 A$59.7

$40.88 €34.71

5.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 A$129

$95.7 €81.2

-3.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$142

$121 €103

-15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,636 A$2,274

$1,653 €1,403

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 A$1,726

$1,233 €1,047

0.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 A$3,657

$3,043 €2,584

-13.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 A$2,684

$2,059 €1,748

-6.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,175 A$11.4K

$7,879 €6,689

3.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,407 A$7,516

$4,303 €3,654

25.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,271 A$5,937

$1,566 €1,330

172.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

3.81

63.78%

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

Last update for Brisbane: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,636 in Brisbane versus $1,653 in Lisbon. 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 173% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Brisbane versus $63 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $270 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Lisbon, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,450 per month in Brisbane and $3,365 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 24% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Brisbane and $63.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,300 in Brisbane and $2,243 in Lisbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,243 versus $2,300 in Brisbane. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.