Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Port Macquarie

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Port Macquarie: $2,520 and $2,450 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,450 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Port Macquarie $2,450

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $3,487 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Port Macquarie $3,487

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $4,525 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Port Macquarie $4,525

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brisbane and Port Macquarie sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Port Macquarie by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.18

$17.73 A$25.39

-0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$100

$87.3 A$125

-19.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.02

$10.34 A$14.82

8.12%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.10

$3.90 A$5.59

9.23%

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

$2.88 A$4.13

$2.49 A$3.57

15.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.58

$1.67 A$2.39

49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.24

$6.19 A$8.87

38.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.61

$6.38 A$9.13

26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.32

$2.03 A$2.91

-20.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.81

$2.93 A$4.20

-9.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.16

$2.74 A$3.93

-19.71%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.07

$5.29 A$7.58

-6.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.93

$5.12 A$7.34

76.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.96

$10.57 A$15.15

-14.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.85

$11.95 A$17.12

15.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.89

$3.14 A$4.50

30.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.30

$4.31 A$6.17

-30.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.16

$2.40 A$3.43

21.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$6.98

$4.95 A$7.09

-1.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.93

$2.39 A$3.42

14.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.49

$2.39 A$3.42

2.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.44

$1.60 A$2.29

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.75

$1.50 A$2.15

-18.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.6

$42.49 A$60.9

-8.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.70

$10.41 A$14.91

18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.34

$4.13 A$5.92

23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.01

$5.16 A$7.39

-5.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.89 A$4.14

-87.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.62

$80.7 A$116

-74.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.37

$3.66 A$5.24

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.54

$1.59 A$2.28

11.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$58.9

$42.84 A$61.4

-4.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.30 A$1.87

11.54%

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

$26.7K A$38.3K

$26.2K A$37.5K

2.10%

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

$27.8K A$39.8K

$22.0K A$31.5K

26.32%

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

$159 A$227

$198 A$284

-19.83%

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

$25.86 A$37.04

$30.80 A$44.13

-16.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.4

$61.3 A$87.9

-1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$88.7

$51.5 A$73.7

20.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.78

$9.54 A$13.67

139.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$24.95

$10.92 A$15.64

59.43%

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

$1,928 A$2,762

$1,823 A$2,612

5.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.0K

$18.6K A$26.6K

-32.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

$70.6 A$101

19.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.3

$54.9 A$78.6

-18.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$158

$104 A$149

6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$107 A$153

2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,761

$1,408 A$2,016

36.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,898

$1,201 A$1,721

10.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,693

$2,133 A$3,055

53.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,246

$1,693 A$2,426

33.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$11.9K

$5,785 A$8,287

43.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,530

$4,938 A$7,074

20.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,873

$2,769 A$3,966

48.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.33

9.01%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49% 9.3% $123

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Port Macquarie

$350 14.3% 2.1% $7.5

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Port Macquarie

$280 11.4% 8.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Port Macquarie

$290 11.9% 18.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Port Macquarie

$151 6.2% 3.6% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Port Macquarie

$73 3% 24.2% $23

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Port Macquarie

$104 4.2% 205% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,408 in Port Macquarie. 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 48% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Brisbane versus $87.0 in Port Macquarie. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Brisbane vs $350 in Port Macquarie – so Port Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

47,793

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Brisbane Port Macquarie 440 km

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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 Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Port Macquarie, 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 $3,675 in Port Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Macquarie, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Brisbane, 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 $87.0 in Port Macquarie. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,450, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Port Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Macquarie – 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 Port Macquarie. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.