Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Rockhampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockhampton: $1,987 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
Learn more

Rockhampton Living Index

Jump to prices

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Rockhampton

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $1,987 in Rockhampton, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Rockhampton $1,987

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,229 in Rockhampton, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Rockhampton $3,229

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,471 in Rockhampton, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Rockhampton $4,471

Brisbane costs about 32% more than Rockhampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Brisbane and Rockhampton sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Rockhampton by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$24.94

$20.51 A$29.05

-14.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$113

$83.9 A$119

-4.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.19

$9.90 A$14.03

15.45%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.39

$5.01 A$7.10

-9.98%

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

$2.95 A$4.18

$2.40 A$3.40

22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.39

$2.77 A$3.93

-13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.20

$7.66 A$10.85

12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.84

$6.47 A$9.16

29.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$2.38 A$3.37

-31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$2.34 A$3.32

13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.17 A$3.07

6.91%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.00

$3.84 A$5.44

28.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.86

$6.86 A$9.72

32.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.92

$11.15 A$15.80

-18.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.31

$15.74 A$22.29

-8.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.86

$2.66 A$3.77

55.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.35

$2.06 A$2.92

49.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.32

$1.87 A$2.65

63.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.92

$4.95 A$7.02

-1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$1.99 A$2.82

41.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$2.32 A$3.29

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.41

$1.92 A$2.73

25.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$2.23 A$3.16

-46.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.6

$37.33 A$52.9

3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.92

$15.17 A$21.49

-16.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.39

$3.52 A$4.98

48.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$5.93 A$8.40

-17.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$1.72 A$2.44

-80.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.71

$63.2 A$89.6

-66.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.46 A$4.89

-11.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.68

$1.76 A$2.50

7.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.7

$39.29 A$55.7

3.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.21 A$1.72

19.83%

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

$29.7K A$42.1K

$29.8K A$42.3K

-0.42%

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

$25.6K A$36.3K

$22.9K A$32.4K

11.90%

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

$158 A$223

$203 A$288

-22.46%

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

$26.05 A$36.91

$23.89 A$33.84

9.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.6

$67.6 A$95.8

-9.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.6

$39.77 A$56.3

53.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.67

$14.23 A$20.16

57.13%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.76

$15.89 A$22.51

-12.21%

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

$2,044 A$2,896

$1,776 A$2,516

15.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$6,584 A$9,328

95.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$127 A$181

-35.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$61.8

$59.5 A$84.3

-26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$141 A$200

-19.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$157

$64.0 A$90.6

73.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,754

$819 A$1,161

137.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,028

$678 A$961

111.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,936

$1,625 A$2,302

114.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,174

$1,549 A$2,194

44.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,871

$3,315 A$4,696

25.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.27

-7.34%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Rockhampton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Rockhampton

$678 34.1% 52.6% $753

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Rockhampton

$358 18% 1.1% $4.2

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Rockhampton

$326 16.4% 5% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Rockhampton

$295 14.8% 20.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Rockhampton

$176 8.9% 11.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Rockhampton

$72 3.6% 19.7% $18

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Rockhampton

$82 4.2% 137% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $819 in Rockhampton. 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 25% 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $84 in Rockhampton. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $358 in Rockhampton – so Rockhampton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

63,151

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Rockhampton 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Rockhampton

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 Rockhampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 32% more than Rockhampton, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. 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 $2,981 in Rockhampton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rockhampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $819 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $1,987 in Rockhampton. That makes Rockhampton about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $1,776 in Rockhampton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rockhampton, where all-in costs run around $1,987, than in Brisbane at $2,630. In Rockhampton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rockhampton – 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.

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