Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Nowra NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Nowra NSW: $2,569 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Nowra NSW
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Nowra NSW Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Nowra NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,569

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Nowra NSW

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,569 in Nowra NSW, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Nowra NSW $2,569

A couple spends around $3,808 per month in Brisbane vs $3,768 in Nowra NSW, rent included.

Brisbane $3,808
Nowra NSW $3,768

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,968 in Nowra NSW, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Nowra NSW $4,968

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Nowra NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Brisbane and Nowra NSW sit above the global median – Brisbane by 94%, Nowra NSW by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.44

$21.35 A$30.50

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$86.5 A$124

-1.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.10

$10.58 A$15.11

6.62%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.35

$4.21 A$6.01

5.70%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.19 A$4.55

-12.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.50

$2.56 A$3.65

-4.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.28

$8.53 A$12.18

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.95

$10.06 A$14.37

-16.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$1.29 A$1.84

36.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$3.00 A$4.28

-14.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.61 A$3.73

-16.48%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.06

$5.21 A$7.44

-4.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.68

$12.05 A$17.21

-20.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.87

$10.12 A$14.45

-10.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.99

$15.16 A$21.65

-7.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.01

$3.92 A$5.59

7.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$3.24 A$4.62

-1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.99

$3.61 A$5.16

-22.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.89

$5.33 A$7.61

-9.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.06 A$4.37

-8.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.78 A$3.97

-15.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.39 A$3.41

-1.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.34 A$1.92

-11.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.8

$45.03 A$64.3

-13.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.33

$14.27 A$20.37

-10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.53

$4.66 A$6.66

13.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.01

$5.58 A$7.97

-12.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.70 A$3.85

-86.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.54

$90.9 A$130

-76.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.72

$4.28 A$6.11

-39.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.83 A$2.61

2.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.5

$44.54 A$63.6

-6.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.37 A$1.96

8.03%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$27.7K A$39.6K

4.56%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

-0.04%

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

$160 A$228

$186 A$266

-14.27%

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

$26.65 A$38.07

$26.65 A$38.06

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.5

$57.4 A$82.0

6.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.2

$60.5 A$86.4

0.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.36

$17.66 A$25.22

28.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.20

$15.49 A$22.12

-8.65%

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

$1,982 A$2,830

$2,524 A$3,604

-21.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$22.4K A$31.9K

19.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$122

$76.4 A$109

11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.2

$57.2 A$81.7

-18.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$107 A$153

3.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$131 A$188

-16.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,795

$1,213 A$1,733

61.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,058

$1,196 A$1,708

20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,971

$2,292 A$3,273

51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,190

$2,125 A$3,034

5.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$5,462 A$7,801

75.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,908

$4,403 A$6,287

57.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,904

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.08

-3.95%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Nowra NSW: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Nowra NSW

$1.2K 46.6% 17% $245

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Nowra NSW

$390 15.2% 7.8% $28

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Nowra NSW

$339 13.2% 9.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Nowra NSW

$270 10.5% 9.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Nowra NSW

$167 6.5% 5.7% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Nowra NSW

$91 3.6% 2.3% $2.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Nowra NSW

$115 4.5% 231% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,293 in Nowra NSW. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $90 in Nowra NSW. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $386 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Nowra NSW

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

22:17 10:17 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

9,598

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Nowra NSW 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Nowra NSW

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 Nowra NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Nowra NSW, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,854 in Nowra NSW. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nowra NSW, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,293 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $90 in Nowra NSW. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,569 in Nowra NSW, 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 $2,569 in Nowra NSW to $2,644 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.