Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Sale, Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sale: $2,520 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Brisbane, Australia
Sale, Australia
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,644
/mo nomad
Sale
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,520
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Sale

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,520 in Sale, rent included.

  • Brisbane $2,644
  • Sale $2,520

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,621 in Sale, rent included.

  • Brisbane $3,821
  • Sale $3,621

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,722 in Sale, rent included.

  • Brisbane $4,999
  • Sale $4,722

Brisbane costs about 5% more than Sale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Sale sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Sale by 86%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.81 A$25.50
$17.47 A$25.01
1.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.4 A$122
$83.1 A$119
2.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.28 A$16.14
$10.32 A$14.77
9.30%
Cappuccino
$4.45 A$6.37
$3.93 A$5.62
13.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 A$4.01
$2.78 A$3.98
0.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 A$3.51
$2.24 A$3.20
9.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.60 A$12.31
$7.80 A$11.17
10.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.36 A$11.97
$7.67 A$10.98
9.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 A$2.52
$1.56 A$2.24
12.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.57 A$3.67
$2.77 A$3.97
-7.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.18 A$3.13
$2.28 A$3.27
-4.39%
Eggs
$4.95 A$7.08
$5.02 A$7.18
-1.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.58 A$13.71
$9.37 A$13.41
2.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 A$12.90
$9.47 A$13.55
-4.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.00 A$20.04
$14.67 A$21.00
-4.57%
Apples (1kg)
$4.21 A$6.03
$3.75 A$5.37
12.27%
Banana (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.55
$2.99 A$4.28
6.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 A$4.00
$3.21 A$4.60
-13.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 A$6.91
$4.62 A$6.61
4.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 A$4.01
$2.72 A$3.89
2.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 A$3.37
$2.38 A$3.41
-0.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.36 A$3.38
$2.42 A$3.47
-2.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 A$1.70
$1.55 A$2.22
-23.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$39.08 A$56.0
$42.21 A$60.4
-7.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.84 A$18.37
$14.07 A$20.14
-8.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.27 A$7.55
$4.60 A$6.59
14.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.91 A$7.03
$5.38 A$7.71
-8.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 A$0.52
$2.71 A$3.88
-86.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$21.39 A$30.61
$85.1 A$122
-74.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 A$3.73
$3.47 A$4.96
-24.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 A$2.69
$1.65 A$2.36
13.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.67 A$59.6
$40.26 A$57.6
3.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 A$2.11
$1.31 A$1.88
12.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K A$41.5K
$30.0K A$42.9K
-3.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K A$37.1K
$26.3K A$37.6K
-1.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$160 A$229
$206 A$294
-22.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.65 A$38.16
$27.59 A$39.50
-3.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.2 A$87.7
$57.3 A$82.1
6.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.1 A$87.4
$55.9 A$80.0
9.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.66 A$32.43
$17.46 A$25.00
29.78%
Cinema Ticket
$14.15 A$20.25
$13.84 A$19.81
2.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,982 A$2,837
$2,136 A$3,058
-7.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.8K A$38.4K
$20.5K A$29.4K
30.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.1 A$122
$76.6 A$110
11.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.37 A$66.4
$53.6 A$76.7
-13.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$159
$107 A$153
3.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 A$157
$122 A$175
-10.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,957 A$2,802
$1,417 A$2,028
38.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,441 A$2,063
$1,216 A$1,740
18.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,481 A$4,983
$2,260 A$3,236
54.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,234 A$3,197
$1,805 A$2,584
23.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,571 A$13.7K
$5,829 A$8,345
64.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,938 A$9,932
$5,031 A$7,201
37.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brisbane
Sale
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,134 A$5,918
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.84
5.9
-1.02%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Sale: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
$1.4K
Sale
$1.2K 15.6% $226
Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
$362
Sale
$368 1.7% $6.2
Eating Out
Brisbane
$310
Sale
$292 5.8% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
$248
Sale
$291 17.4% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
$158
Sale
$162 2.1% $3.4
Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
$89
Sale
$84 6.5% $5.8
Getting Around
Brisbane
$35
Sale
$108 209% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,417 in Sale. 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 $83 in Sale. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $368 in Sale – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🇦🇺 Sale
🕒 Local time
03:22 3:22 AM
04:22 4:22 AM
1 h ahead of Brisbane
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,287,896
13,673
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brisbane Sale 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brisbane
  • Sale

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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brisbane or Sale?
Brisbane costs about 5% more than Sale, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Brisbane and in Sale?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,779 in Sale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Brisbane or Sale?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sale, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,417 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.
How much does it cost to live in Brisbane compared to Sale?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,520 in Sale. That makes Sale about 5% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Brisbane compared to Sale?
Public transport costs about 75% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Brisbane or in Sale?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,520 in Sale, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brisbane or Sale?
It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,520 in Sale to $2,644 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Brisbane compared to Sale?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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