Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Port Douglas

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Port Douglas: $2,644 and $2,579 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Port Douglas
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Port Douglas Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Port Douglas

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Port Douglas

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,579 in Port Douglas, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Port Douglas $2,579

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,766 in Port Douglas, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Port Douglas $3,766

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,952 in Port Douglas, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Port Douglas $4,952

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

Both Brisbane and Port Douglas sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Port Douglas by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.70

$17.40 A$25.10

2.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$123

$96.7 A$139

-11.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.27

$12.54 A$18.09

-10.05%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.42

$4.31 A$6.22

3.25%

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

$2.80 A$4.04

$3.20 A$4.62

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.53

$2.76 A$3.98

-11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.41

$6.81 A$9.82

26.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$12.07

$8.60 A$12.41

-2.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$1.86 A$2.68

-5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.70

$2.64 A$3.82

-2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.15

$2.57 A$3.71

-15.18%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.13

$5.37 A$7.75

-7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.82

$9.16 A$13.21

4.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$13.00

$13.75 A$19.84

-34.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$20.19

$15.07 A$21.74

-7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.07

$4.07 A$5.87

3.44%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.59

$2.83 A$4.08

12.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$4.03

$3.55 A$5.12

-21.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.96

$5.97 A$8.61

-19.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.04

$2.48 A$3.58

12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.40

$2.61 A$3.76

-9.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.40

$2.75 A$3.97

-14.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$2.62 A$3.79

-54.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$56.4

$44.42 A$64.1

-12.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.52

$14.14 A$20.40

-9.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.61

$3.54 A$5.10

48.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.08

$5.20 A$7.51

-5.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.79 A$4.02

-87.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.85

$85.0 A$123

-74.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.76

$2.60 A$3.75

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.71

$1.97 A$2.85

-4.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$60.1

$42.92 A$61.9

-2.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.28 A$1.85

15.62%

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

$29.0K A$41.8K

$28.9K A$41.7K

0.40%

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

$25.9K A$37.4K

$31.4K A$45.3K

-17.43%

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

$160 A$230

$161 A$232

-0.63%

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

$26.65 A$38.45

$35.46 A$51.2

-24.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$88.3

$65.5 A$94.5

-6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$88.1

$55.1 A$79.4

10.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.68

$17.85 A$25.75

26.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.41

$13.76 A$19.85

2.83%

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

$1,982 A$2,859

$2,120 A$3,058

-6.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.7K

$14.2K A$20.4K

89.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$123

$91.4 A$132

-6.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.9

$72.5 A$105

-36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$125 A$180

-11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$158

$129 A$187

-15.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,823

$1,400 A$2,019

39.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,079

$1,223 A$1,764

17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$5,021

$2,296 A$3,311

51.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,222

$1,804 A$2,602

23.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.8K

$5,744 A$8,285

66.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$10.0K

$4,972 A$7,172

39.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,964

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.32

-7.59%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Port Douglas: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Port Douglas

$1.2K 47.4% 15.1% $218

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Port Douglas

$411 15.9% 13.7% $50

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Port Douglas

$304 11.8% 2.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Port Douglas

$262 10.2% 5.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Port Douglas

$188 7.3% 18.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Port Douglas

$83 3.2% 7.6% $6.8

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Port Douglas

$109 4.2% 212% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,400 in Port Douglas. 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 $85 in Brisbane versus $97 in Port Douglas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $411 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Port Douglas

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

3,500

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Port Douglas 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Port Douglas

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 Port Douglas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,869 in Port Douglas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Douglas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,120 in Port Douglas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,579 in Port Douglas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Port Douglas has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,579 in Port Douglas 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.