Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Noosa Heads

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $2,698 in Noosa Heads, rent and utilities included – about $820 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Noosa Heads outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Noosa Heads
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Noosa Heads Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Noosa Heads

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Noosa Heads

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,698 in Noosa Heads, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Noosa Heads $2,698

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,802 in Noosa Heads, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Noosa Heads $3,802

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,907 in Noosa Heads, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Noosa Heads $4,907

Brisbane is about 3% cheaper than Noosa Heads, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Noosa Heads sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Noosa Heads by 98%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.04

$13.23 A$18.82

33.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$66.0 A$93.8

21.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.25

$5.48 A$7.80

108.58%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.42

$3.44 A$4.89

31.10%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.89 A$4.12

2.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.07 A$2.94

15.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.25

$4.15 A$5.90

107.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.89

$5.66 A$8.04

47.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.50 A$2.13

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.72 A$3.88

-2.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$1.36 A$1.94

70.59%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.03

$4.75 A$6.76

4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.91

$7.15 A$10.17

26.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.98

$8.98 A$12.78

1.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.39

$13.27 A$18.87

8.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.89

$3.94 A$5.60

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$2.77 A$3.94

10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$2.13 A$3.03

43.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.95

$4.11 A$5.85

18.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.05 A$2.92

37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.04 A$2.90

21.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.43

$2.08 A$2.96

15.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$0.67 A$0.96

77.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$39.10 A$55.6

-1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.99

$11.90 A$16.93

6.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.42

$5.01 A$7.12

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.93

$6.40 A$9.11

-23.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.73 A$3.88

-87.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.83

$95.8 A$136

-78.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.34

$2.21 A$3.15

38.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.48 A$2.11

27.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.0

$34.42 A$48.96

18.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.19 A$1.69

21.85%

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

$29.7K A$42.3K

$28.2K A$40.1K

5.34%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$24.9K A$35.5K

2.62%

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

$158 A$224

$123 A$175

28.02%

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

$26.05 A$37.06

$30.81 A$43.82

-15.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$87.0

$51.7 A$73.6

18.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$87.0

$40.51 A$57.6

50.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.80

$17.70 A$25.17

26.33%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.84

$13.06 A$18.58

6.81%

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

$2,044 A$2,908

$1,041 A$1,481

96.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$11.9K A$16.9K

8.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$76.3 A$108

8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.1

$54.3 A$77.2

-19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$103 A$146

10.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$122 A$174

-9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,765

$1,627 A$2,313

19.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,036

$1,607 A$2,286

-10.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,956

$2,616 A$3,721

33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,187

$2,419 A$3,440

-7.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$5,408 A$7,692

72.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,961

$5,473 A$7,784

27.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,894

$3,063 A$4,357

35.28%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Noosa Heads: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Noosa Heads

$1.6K 59.6% 12.3% $176

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Noosa Heads

$327 12.1% 9.7% $35

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Noosa Heads

$215 8% 30.6% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Noosa Heads

$206 7.6% 16% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Noosa Heads

$160 5.9% 1.5% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Noosa Heads

$67 2.5% 25.2% $22

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Noosa Heads

$116 4.3% 234% $81

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,627 in Noosa Heads. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $66 in Noosa Heads. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $327 – making Noosa Heads the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Noosa Heads

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

7,041

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 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 Noosa Heads: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Noosa Heads costs about 3% 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 $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $4,047 in Noosa Heads. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Noosa Heads, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,627 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Noosa Heads – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $66 in Noosa Heads. 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 $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,698 in Noosa Heads. 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 $2,630 in Brisbane to $2,698 in Noosa Heads. 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.