Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Penrith

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Penrith: $2,520 and $2,604 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Penrith
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Penrith Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Penrith

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Penrith

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,604 in Penrith, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Penrith $2,604

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $3,652 in Penrith, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Penrith $3,652

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $4,701 in Penrith, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Penrith $4,701

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

Both Brisbane and Penrith sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Penrith by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.29

$21.03 A$30.26

-16.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$101

$89.7 A$129

-22.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.09

$10.56 A$15.19

5.87%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.13

$2.04 A$2.93

108.82%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$3.16 A$4.54

-8.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.60

$2.56 A$3.69

-2.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$8.57 A$12.33

-0.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.66

$4.96 A$7.14

63.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.57 A$2.26

3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.83

$3.32 A$4.78

-19.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.17

$2.54 A$3.65

-13.39%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.10

$5.16 A$7.42

-4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$13.08 A$18.82

-30.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

$9.74 A$14.02

-7.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.94

$15.40 A$22.16

-10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.93 A$5.65

4.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.08 A$4.43

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.18

$3.50 A$5.04

-16.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$7.01

$5.31 A$7.65

-8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.95

$3.17 A$4.56

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.51

$2.80 A$4.02

-12.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.48 A$3.57

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.76

$1.34 A$1.93

-8.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.9

$45.42 A$65.4

-14.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.78

$14.07 A$20.24

-12.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$4.62 A$6.65

10.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.04

$5.64 A$8.11

-13.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$3.17 A$4.57

-88.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

$78.5 A$113

-73.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.39

$4.11 A$5.92

-25.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.57 A$2.26

12.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$59.2

$42.63 A$61.3

-3.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.18 A$1.70

22.88%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$27.1K A$39.0K

-1.42%

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

$27.8K A$39.9K

$30.0K A$43.2K

-7.54%

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

$159 A$228

$183 A$263

-13.11%

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

$25.86 A$37.21

$26.16 A$37.65

-1.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.8

$55.4 A$79.7

8.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$89.1

$51.0 A$73.4

21.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.93

$17.66 A$25.42

29.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$25.06

$15.88 A$22.86

9.63%

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

$1,928 A$2,774

$2,390 A$3,439

-19.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$19.9K A$28.7K

-36.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

$75.3 A$108

12.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.5

$56.1 A$80.8

-20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$159

$108 A$155

2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

$134 A$193

-18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,773

$1,371 A$1,973

40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,906

$1,289 A$1,855

2.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,714

$2,142 A$3,082

52.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,261

$1,686 A$2,427

34.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$12.0K

$4,992 A$7,184

66.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,569

$4,361 A$6,275

36.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.95

-2.35%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Penrith: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Penrith

$1.3K 49.5% 2.7% $35

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Penrith

$396 15.2% 10.8% $39

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Penrith

$300 11.5% 1.9% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Penrith

$264 10.2% 7.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Penrith

$168 6.5% 7.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Penrith

$83 3.2% 14.5% $14

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Penrith

$103 4% 203% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,371 in Penrith. 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 $70.0 in Brisbane versus $90.0 in Penrith. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $396 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Penrith

🕒 Local time

11:20 11:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

13,343

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Penrith 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Penrith

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 Penrith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penrith 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 $3,781 per month in Brisbane and $3,905 in Penrith. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Penrith, 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 $70.0 in Brisbane and $90.0 in Penrith. 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 $2,520 in Brisbane and $2,604 in Penrith. 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 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.

If budget matters most, go with Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penrith makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.