Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Muswellbrook

For one person, living is cheaper in Muswellbrook: $2,294 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Muswellbrook
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Muswellbrook Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Muswellbrook

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Muswellbrook

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,294 in Muswellbrook, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Muswellbrook $2,294

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,598 in Muswellbrook, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Muswellbrook $3,598

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,902 in Muswellbrook, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Muswellbrook $4,902

Brisbane costs about 15% more than Muswellbrook, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Muswellbrook sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Muswellbrook by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$17.21 A$24.45

2.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$85.1 A$121

-6.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$10.58 A$15.04

8.03%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$3.42 A$4.86

31.87%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.72 A$3.87

8.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.23 A$3.17

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$6.99 A$9.93

23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$7.04 A$10.01

18.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.20 A$1.70

35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.90 A$4.13

-8.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.19 A$3.10

5.94%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$4.04 A$5.74

22.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$10.36 A$14.73

-12.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$9.57 A$13.60

-4.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$16.41 A$23.31

-12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$2.94 A$4.17

40.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$2.58 A$3.67

18.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$2.78 A$3.95

9.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$4.50 A$6.39

8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.39 A$3.39

17.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.49 A$3.53

-0.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.77 A$3.94

-13.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.72 A$2.44

-30.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$41.91 A$59.6

-8.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$14.03 A$19.94

-9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$4.43 A$6.30

17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$4.68 A$6.65

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.74 A$3.89

-87.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$93.9 A$133

-77.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.81 A$5.42

-19.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.44 A$2.04

31.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$41.81 A$59.4

-2.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.34 A$1.90

8.21%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$29.5K A$42.0K

0.57%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$24.5K A$34.7K

4.68%

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

$158 A$224

$138 A$197

14.00%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$31.16 A$44.28

-16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$49.96 A$71.0

22.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$55.7 A$79.1

9.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$15.21 A$21.61

47.01%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$13.12 A$18.65

6.33%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$2,205 A$3,133

-7.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$23.1K A$32.8K

-44.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$71.1 A$101

15.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$62.9 A$89.4

-30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$145 A$207

-21.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$108 A$153

2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,201 A$1,707

61.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,061 A$1,508

34.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$2,222 A$3,157

56.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$2,048 A$2,910

9.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$6,189 A$8,794

50.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$4,686 A$6,659

49.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$6,419 A$9,121

-35.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.23

11.09%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Muswellbrook: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Muswellbrook

$1.1K 46.3% 25.8% $370

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Muswellbrook

$361 15.8% 0.1% $0.5

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Muswellbrook

$279 12.2% 10% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Muswellbrook

$220 9.6% 10.4% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Muswellbrook

$174 7.6% 10.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Muswellbrook

$82 3.6% 8% $7.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Muswellbrook

$116 5.1% 233% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,201 in Muswellbrook. 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 55% higher in Muswellbrook, 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $85 in Muswellbrook. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $361 in Muswellbrook – so Muswellbrook wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Muswellbrook

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

16,000

💱 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 Muswellbrook 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Muswellbrook

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 Muswellbrook: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 15% more than Muswellbrook, 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 $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,440 in Muswellbrook. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muswellbrook, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,201 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,294 in Muswellbrook. That makes Muswellbrook about 13% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $2,205 in Muswellbrook. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,294 in Muswellbrook, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,294 in Muswellbrook to $2,630 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.