Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Newcastle, Australia

Name: Newcastle
Address: Newcastle, AU

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Newcastle: $2,518 and $2,577 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Newcastle

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $2,577 in Newcastle, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Newcastle $2,577

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $3,805 in Newcastle, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Newcastle $3,805

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $5,033 in Newcastle, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Newcastle $5,033

Brisbane is about 2% cheaper than Newcastle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Newcastle sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Newcastle by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$24.73

$20.75 A$29.52

-16.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$101

$104 A$147

-31.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.77

$10.52 A$14.97

5.42%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.31

$3.82 A$5.43

15.97%

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

$2.90 A$4.12

$3.29 A$4.68

-11.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.45

$1.76 A$2.50

38.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$11.98

$8.85 A$12.58

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.83

$6.79 A$9.66

22.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.37

$1.42 A$2.02

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.87

$2.70 A$3.84

0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.25

$1.95 A$2.78

17.44%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.86

$4.67 A$6.64

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$12.88

$10.17 A$14.46

-10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.06

$8.86 A$12.60

3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.21

$15.94 A$22.67

-10.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.13

$3.56 A$5.07

21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.33

$2.95 A$4.20

3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$2.90 A$4.12

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.76

$4.39 A$6.25

8.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.87

$2.89 A$4.11

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.32 A$3.29

0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.50 A$3.56

-3.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.40 A$1.99

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.0

$31.88 A$45.34

21.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.00

$10.65 A$15.14

18.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.68

$4.34 A$6.17

24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.29

$3.29 A$4.68

55.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$2.74 A$3.90

-86.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.47

$150 A$214

-86.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.15

$2.48 A$3.53

17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.65

$1.57 A$2.23

18.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$58.4

$40.98 A$58.3

0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$1.99

$1.19 A$1.69

17.65%

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

$29.7K A$42.3K

0.03%

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

$26.0K A$36.9K

$25.1K A$35.7K

3.55%

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

$159 A$226

$218 A$310

-27.02%

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

$26.52 A$37.72

$26.13 A$37.16

1.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$86.2

$56.6 A$80.5

7.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$86.5

$44.94 A$63.9

35.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.60

$17.86 A$25.41

24.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.10

$14.09 A$20.04

0.35%

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

$1,952 A$2,776

$2,158 A$3,070

-9.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$13.7K A$19.4K

-7.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$118

$80.5 A$114

3.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.1

$46.87 A$66.7

-6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$119 A$170

-5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$118 A$168

-5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,758

$1,550 A$2,205

25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,880

$1,197 A$1,702

10.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,847

$2,465 A$3,506

38.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,189

$1,864 A$2,652

20.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.8K

$13.5K A$19.2K

-38.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,419

$5,833 A$8,296

1.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$5,950

$3,099 A$4,408

34.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.55

-11.30%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Newcastle: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Newcastle

$1.2K 46.4% 9.5% $125

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Newcastle

$349 13.6% 3.8% $14

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Newcastle

$321 12.5% 5.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Newcastle

$301 11.7% 22.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Newcastle

$164 6.4% 3.8% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Newcastle

$73 2.8% 18% $16

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Newcastle

$172 6.7% 399% $137

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $1,550 in Newcastle. 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 35% higher in Brisbane, 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 $71 in Brisbane versus $104 in Newcastle. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Brisbane vs $349 in Newcastle – so Newcastle wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

508,437

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Newcastle 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Newcastle

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 Newcastle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newcastle costs about 2% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Brisbane and $3,865 in Newcastle. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Newcastle, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,550 there versus $1,939 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Newcastle – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Brisbane and $104 in Newcastle. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,518 in Brisbane and $2,577 in Newcastle. 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 $2,518 in Brisbane to $2,577 in Newcastle. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.