Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Maroochydore

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroochydore: $2,355 a month against $2,520 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Maroochydore

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,355 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Maroochydore $2,355

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $3,592 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Maroochydore $3,592

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $4,828 in Maroochydore, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Maroochydore $4,828

Brisbane costs about 7% more than Maroochydore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Maroochydore sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Maroochydore by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.29

$14.05 A$20.23

25.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$101

$95.7 A$138

-27.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.09

$9.04 A$13.01

23.67%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.13

$3.77 A$5.42

13.00%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.58 A$3.72

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.60

$2.14 A$3.08

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$4.10 A$5.91

108.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.66

$7.45 A$10.72

8.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.55 A$2.23

4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.83

$2.61 A$3.75

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.17

$2.38 A$3.42

-7.56%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.10

$4.76 A$6.85

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$8.70 A$12.52

3.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

$9.20 A$13.24

-1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.94

$14.88 A$21.41

-6.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.90 A$5.60

5.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.12 A$4.48

-3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.18

$2.58 A$3.71

12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$7.01

$3.73 A$5.37

30.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.95

$2.60 A$3.74

5.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.51

$2.10 A$3.03

16.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.53 A$3.65

-5.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.76

$1.48 A$2.13

-17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.9

$23.93 A$34.44

62.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.78

$10.54 A$15.17

17.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$5.98 A$8.60

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.04

$5.78 A$8.32

-15.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$0.67 A$0.96

-46.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

$72.2 A$104

-71.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.01 A$2.89

51.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.47 A$2.12

20.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$59.2

$36.38 A$52.4

13.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.37 A$1.97

5.84%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$26.8K A$38.5K

-0.16%

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

$27.8K A$39.9K

$23.3K A$33.5K

19.36%

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

$159 A$228

$217 A$312

-26.72%

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

$25.86 A$37.21

$30.09 A$43.29

-14.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.8

$54.3 A$78.2

11.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$89.1

$57.1 A$82.1

8.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.93

$17.66 A$25.41

29.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$25.06

$13.18 A$18.96

32.09%

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

$1,928 A$2,774

$2,157 A$3,105

-10.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$11.8K A$16.9K

6.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

$76.5 A$110

10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.5

$53.7 A$77.3

-16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$159

$105 A$151

5.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

$121 A$174

-9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,773

$1,164 A$1,675

65.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,906

$1,131 A$1,627

17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,714

$2,054 A$2,956

59.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,261

$2,024 A$2,912

11.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$12.0K

$6,041 A$8,693

37.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,569

$5,962 A$8,579

-0.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

$2,836 A$4,080

44.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.69

2.11%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Maroochydore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Maroochydore

$1.1K 48% 14.6% $194

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Maroochydore

$356 15.1% 0.3% $1

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Maroochydore

$239 10.2% 21.8% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Maroochydore

$301 12.8% 22.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Maroochydore

$160 6.8% 2.1% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Maroochydore

$83 3.5% 13.8% $13

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Maroochydore

$84 3.6% 147% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,164 in Maroochydore. 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 45% 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 $70.0 in Brisbane versus $96.0 in Maroochydore. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Brisbane vs $356 in Maroochydore – so Maroochydore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

18,342

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Maroochydore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 7% more than Maroochydore, 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 $3,781 per month in Brisbane and $3,533 in Maroochydore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 0% 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 $70.0 in Brisbane and $96.0 in Maroochydore. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Maroochydore, where all-in costs run around $2,355, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Maroochydore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Maroochydore. 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.