Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Pakenham

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Pakenham: $2,630 and $2,643 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Pakenham
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Pakenham Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Pakenham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,643

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Pakenham

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,643 in Pakenham, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Pakenham $2,643

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,761 in Pakenham, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Pakenham $3,761

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,880 in Pakenham, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Pakenham $4,880

Brisbane and Pakenham have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Brisbane and Pakenham sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Pakenham by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$17.34 A$24.64

1.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$83.4 A$118

-4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$12.08 A$17.16

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$4.02 A$5.71

12.19%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$3.21 A$4.56

-8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.47 A$3.50

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$9.56 A$13.59

-9.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$8.47 A$12.04

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.21 A$1.71

33.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.87 A$4.07

-7.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.61 A$3.70

-11.11%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$5.61 A$7.97

-11.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$8.49 A$12.07

6.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$9.78 A$13.90

-6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$15.29 A$21.72

-6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$3.98 A$5.66

4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$2.62 A$3.73

17.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.13 A$4.45

-2.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$4.74 A$6.74

3.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.99 A$4.25

-6.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.57 A$3.65

-3.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.43 A$3.45

-0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.63 A$2.32

-26.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$25.16 A$35.75

53.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$12.63 A$17.95

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$5.48 A$7.78

-4.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.17 A$7.35

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$3.08 A$4.37

-88.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$73.7 A$105

-71.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$4.36 A$6.19

-30.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.43 A$2.03

32.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$30.36 A$43.14

34.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.43 A$2.04

1.40%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$29.1K A$41.3K

2.16%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$26.4K A$37.6K

-3.18%

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

$158 A$224

$236 A$335

-33.12%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$28.14 A$39.99

-7.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$57.8 A$82.2

5.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$64.3 A$91.4

-4.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$19.50 A$27.71

14.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$17.55 A$24.94

-20.51%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$2,515 A$3,573

-18.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$30.4K A$43.2K

-57.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$80.5 A$114

2.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$49.90 A$70.9

-12.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$119 A$169

-4.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$133 A$189

-16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,463 A$2,078

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,269 A$1,804

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$2,148 A$3,052

62.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$1,855 A$2,635

20.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$5,533 A$7,862

68.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$5,458 A$7,756

28.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Pakenham: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Pakenham

$1.3K 48% 11.3% $162

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Pakenham

$372 14.1% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Pakenham

$311 11.8% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Pakenham

$322 12.2% 31.4% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Pakenham

$172 6.5% 9.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Pakenham

$99 3.8% 11.7% $10

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Pakenham

$98 3.7% 180% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,463 in Pakenham. 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 $83 in Pakenham. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $372 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Pakenham

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

54,118

💱 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 Pakenham 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Pakenham

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 Pakenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,964 in Pakenham. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pakenham, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,463 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Pakenham, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $2,515 in Pakenham. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,643 in Pakenham. 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 $2,643 in Pakenham. 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.