Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Margaret River

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Margaret River: $2,644 and $2,642 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,642

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Margaret River

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,642 in Margaret River, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Margaret River $2,642

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,774 in Margaret River, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Margaret River $3,774

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,907 in Margaret River, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Margaret River $4,907

Brisbane and Margaret River have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Brisbane and Margaret River sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Margaret River by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.38

$20.91 A$29.80

-14.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$84.1 A$120

1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.07

$10.91 A$15.55

3.39%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.34

$4.51 A$6.43

-1.33%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.92 A$4.16

-4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.49

$2.22 A$3.17

10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.26

$8.27 A$11.79

3.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.74 A$2.48

1.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$3.10 A$4.41

-17.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.11

$2.06 A$2.94

5.83%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.05

$5.17 A$7.37

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.65

$9.34 A$13.31

2.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.84

$9.30 A$13.26

-3.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.95

$14.12 A$20.12

-0.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.00

$4.67 A$6.66

-9.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.53

$3.15 A$4.48

0.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.98

$3.43 A$4.89

-18.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.88

$4.78 A$6.82

1.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.83 A$4.03

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$1.91 A$2.72

23.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.20 A$3.13

7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.41 A$2.01

-15.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.7

$42.03 A$59.9

-7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.29

$12.83 A$18.29

0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.52

$4.36 A$6.21

20.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.99

$3.53 A$5.03

39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.51

$2.72 A$3.87

-86.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.48

$84.9 A$121

-74.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.71

$3.54 A$5.04

-26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.41 A$2.01

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.4

$40.36 A$57.5

3.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.10

$1.43 A$2.04

3.50%

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

$29.0K A$41.3K

$30.6K A$43.6K

-5.27%

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

$25.9K A$36.9K

$28.1K A$40.1K

-7.82%

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

$160 A$228

$202 A$287

-20.77%

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

$26.65 A$37.98

$32.62 A$46.48

-18.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.3

$64.3 A$91.6

-4.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.0

$56.9 A$81.1

7.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.28

$17.68 A$25.19

28.17%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.16

$17.47 A$24.90

-19.00%

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

$1,982 A$2,824

$2,300 A$3,277

-13.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.2K

$23.4K A$33.3K

14.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$78.6 A$112

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.1

$63.2 A$90.0

-26.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$124 A$176

-10.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$164 A$233

-33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,789

$1,387 A$1,976

41.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,054

$1,253 A$1,785

15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,960

$2,279 A$3,247

52.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,183

$1,798 A$2,562

24.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.6K

$5,747 A$8,190

66.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,887

$4,919 A$7,010

41.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,891

$2,984 A$4,252

38.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.96

-2.01%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Margaret River: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Margaret River

$1.3K 47.4% 13.1% $189

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Margaret River

$367 13.9% 1.4% $4.9

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Margaret River

$333 12.6% 7.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Margaret River

$299 11.3% 20.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Margaret River

$193 7.3% 21.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Margaret River

$92 3.5% 2.8% $2.5

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Margaret River

$106 4% 205% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,387 in Margaret River. 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 39% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $84 in Margaret River. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $367 in Margaret River – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

2 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

8,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Margaret River 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Margaret River

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 Margaret River: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,963 in Margaret River. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margaret River, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,387 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,300 in Margaret River. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,642 in Margaret River. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,642 in Margaret River 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.

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