Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Mount Isa

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Mount Isa: $2,630 and $2,629 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Mount Isa
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Mount Isa Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Mount Isa

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Mount Isa

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,629 in Mount Isa, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Mount Isa $2,629

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,759 in Mount Isa, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Mount Isa $3,759

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,890 in Mount Isa, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Mount Isa $4,890

Brisbane and Mount Isa have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Brisbane and Mount Isa sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Mount Isa by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$19.94 A$28.33

-11.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$89.2 A$127

-10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$10.28 A$14.61

11.19%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$3.96 A$5.62

13.89%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.91 A$4.14

1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.25 A$3.20

6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$8.33 A$11.84

3.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$8.57 A$12.18

-2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.62 A$2.31

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.76 A$3.91

-3.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$5.02 A$7.13

-1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$8.66 A$12.31

4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$10.60 A$15.06

-13.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$14.02 A$19.93

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$3.70 A$5.26

11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$3.09 A$4.39

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.33 A$4.73

-8.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$5.14 A$7.30

-4.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.72 A$3.86

3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.50 A$3.55

-0.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.32 A$3.30

3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.53 A$2.17

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$43.25 A$61.5

-10.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$13.05 A$18.55

-3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$4.80 A$6.82

8.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.10 A$7.24

-4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$3.09 A$4.39

-89.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$94.6 A$134

-77.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.16 A$4.49

-3.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.64 A$2.32

15.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$44.14 A$62.7

-7.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.37 A$1.95

5.84%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$32.0K A$45.5K

-7.28%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$23.0K A$32.7K

11.18%

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

$158 A$224

$208 A$296

-24.16%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$27.46 A$39.01

-5.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$56.1 A$79.7

9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$59.4 A$84.4

2.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$16.78 A$23.84

33.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$11.97 A$17.01

16.54%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$1,856 A$2,638

10.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$22.7K A$32.3K

-43.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$84.1 A$119

-2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$59.6 A$84.7

-26.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$122 A$173

-7.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$106 A$151

4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,304 A$1,852

49.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,279 A$1,818

11.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$2,545 A$3,616

36.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$1,845 A$2,622

21.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$5,578 A$7,926

67.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$4,767 A$6,773

46.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$4,462 A$6,340

-7.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Mount Isa

$1.3K 48.7% 10.6% $152

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Mount Isa

$371 14.1% 2.6% $9.5

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Mount Isa

$317 12.1% 2.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Mount Isa

$292 11.1% 19% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Mount Isa

$167 6.4% 6.2% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Mount Isa

$83 3.2% 6.4% $5.7

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Mount Isa

$118 4.5% 240% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,304 in Mount Isa. 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 8% higher in Mount Isa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane versus $89 in Mount Isa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $371 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Mount Isa

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

17,936

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Mount Isa 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Mount Isa

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 Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,943 in Mount Isa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mount Isa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,304 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $1,856 in Mount Isa. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,629 in Mount Isa. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Mount Isa – 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.