Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Northam

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Northam: $2,518 and $2,498 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Northam

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $2,498 in Northam, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Northam $2,498

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $3,618 in Northam, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Northam $3,618

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $4,737 in Northam, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Northam $4,737

Brisbane costs about 1% more than Northam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Northam sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Northam by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$24.70

$19.97 A$28.37

-12.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$101

$85.1 A$121

-16.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.75

$10.55 A$15.00

5.12%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.30

$4.48 A$6.36

-1.12%

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

$2.90 A$4.12

$2.84 A$4.03

2.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.45

$2.29 A$3.25

6.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$11.97

$8.30 A$11.79

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.81

$8.10 A$11.51

2.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.37

$1.74 A$2.48

-4.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.87

$2.58 A$3.66

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.25

$1.98 A$2.82

15.66%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.85

$4.48 A$6.36

7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$12.87

$6.37 A$9.05

42.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.05

$9.12 A$12.96

0.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.19

$14.08 A$20.01

0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.12

$2.73 A$3.88

57.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.32

$3.25 A$4.62

-6.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$3.44 A$4.89

-12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.75

$4.92 A$6.99

-3.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.87

$2.89 A$4.11

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.32

$1.97 A$2.81

18.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.25 A$3.20

7.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$0.73 A$1.04

63.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.0

$41.37 A$58.8

-6.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$17.98

$3.49 A$4.96

262.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.67

$4.40 A$6.25

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.28

$3.51 A$4.99

46.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$2.92 A$4.15

-87.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.44

$80.6 A$114

-74.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.15

$3.53 A$5.02

-17.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.64

$1.46 A$2.07

27.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$58.3

$41.14 A$58.5

-0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$1.99

$1.35 A$1.91

3.70%

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

$29.7K A$42.3K

$26.9K A$38.2K

10.78%

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

$26.0K A$36.9K

$29.5K A$41.9K

-11.86%

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

$159 A$226

$196 A$278

-18.75%

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

$26.52 A$37.68

$24.09 A$34.24

10.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$86.1

$64.3 A$91.4

-5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$86.5

$56.5 A$80.2

7.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.57

$17.81 A$25.31

24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.08

$17.30 A$24.59

-18.27%

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

$1,952 A$2,773

$2,328 A$3,307

-16.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$23.2K A$33.0K

-45.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$118

$77.3 A$110

7.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.1

$66.3 A$94.2

-34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$123 A$174

-7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$161 A$229

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,755

$1,391 A$1,976

39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,878

$1,190 A$1,691

11.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,842

$2,173 A$3,088

56.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,186

$1,783 A$2,533

25.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.8K

$5,780 A$8,213

43.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,411

$4,889 A$6,947

21.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$5,944

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.91

-1.69%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Northam

$1.2K 47.6% 10% $132

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Northam

$314 12.6% 13.5% $49

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Northam

$323 12.9% 5.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Northam

$284 11.4% 15.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Northam

$192 7.7% 21.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Northam

$91 3.7% 2.2% $2

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Northam

$103 4.1% 200% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $1,391 in Northam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71 in Brisbane versus $85 in Northam. Groceries tell a different story – $363 in Brisbane vs $314 in Northam – so Northam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Northam

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

2 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

6,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Northam 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Northam

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 Northam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 1% more than Northam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $3,747 in Northam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Northam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,391 there versus $1,939 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $71 in Brisbane and $85 in Northam. 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 $2,498 in Northam. 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 $2,498 in Northam to $2,518 in Brisbane. 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.