Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Parramatta

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $3,303 in Parramatta, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Parramatta
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Parramatta Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Parramatta

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Parramatta

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $3,303 in Parramatta, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Parramatta $3,303

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $4,603 in Parramatta, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Parramatta $4,603

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $5,903 in Parramatta, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Parramatta $5,903

Brisbane is about 20% cheaper than Parramatta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Parramatta sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Parramatta by 143%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$24.94

$17.30 A$24.50

1.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$113

$91.0 A$129

-12.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.19

$11.95 A$16.93

-4.35%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.39

$3.95 A$5.59

14.18%

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

$2.95 A$4.18

$3.17 A$4.49

-6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.39

$2.56 A$3.62

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.20

$8.55 A$12.11

0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.84

$7.43 A$10.53

12.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.65 A$2.33

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$2.80 A$3.96

-5.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.38 A$3.38

-2.52%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.00

$5.38 A$7.62

-8.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.86

$12.04 A$17.05

-24.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.92

$9.56 A$13.54

-4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.31

$15.42 A$21.85

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.86

$4.01 A$5.68

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.35

$3.21 A$4.55

-4.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.48 A$4.93

-12.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.92

$4.93 A$6.99

-0.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$3.08 A$4.37

-8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$2.44 A$3.46

1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.56 A$3.62

-5.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.38 A$1.96

-13.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.6

$44.83 A$63.5

-14.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.92

$14.05 A$19.90

-9.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.39

$4.07 A$5.77

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$4.04 A$5.72

20.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.24 A$3.18

-84.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.71

$139 A$197

-84.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.46 A$4.91

-11.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.68

$1.59 A$2.25

18.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.7

$40.91 A$58.0

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.34 A$1.90

8.21%

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

$29.7K A$42.1K

$29.5K A$41.8K

0.73%

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

$25.6K A$36.3K

$26.6K A$37.7K

-3.86%

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

$158 A$223

$254 A$360

-37.94%

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

$26.05 A$36.91

$27.25 A$38.60

-4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.6

$54.9 A$77.7

11.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.6

$53.9 A$76.3

13.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.67

$20.01 A$28.35

11.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.76

$15.91 A$22.54

-12.32%

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

$2,044 A$2,896

$2,337 A$3,311

-12.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$20.4K A$28.9K

-36.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$80.0 A$113

3.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$61.8

$55.8 A$79.1

-21.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$107 A$152

5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$157

$127 A$180

-12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,754

$2,541 A$3,599

-23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,028

$1,872 A$2,652

-23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,936

$3,737 A$5,294

-6.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,174

$2,728 A$3,864

-17.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$4,197 A$5,945

122.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,921

$3,358 A$4,757

108.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,871

$4,034 A$5,715

2.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.92

-1.86%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Parramatta

$1.9K 56.7% 30.8% $441

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Parramatta

$381 11.5% 5.3% $19

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Parramatta

$302 9.1% 2.7% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Parramatta

$336 10.2% 37.3% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Parramatta

$166 5% 5.5% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Parramatta

$86 2.6% 3.8% $3.4

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Parramatta

$160 4.8% 358% $125

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $2,541 in Parramatta. 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 3% 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 $91 in Parramatta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $381 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Parramatta

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

12:01 12:01 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

19,745

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Parramatta 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Parramatta

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 Parramatta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Parramatta costs about 26% 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 $4,955 in Parramatta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,944 there versus $2,541 in Parramatta.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Parramatta, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $91 in Parramatta. 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 $3,303 in Parramatta. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Brisbane is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.