Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and South Yarra

For one person, living is cheaper in South Yarra: $2,514 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in South Yarra
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South Yarra Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

South Yarra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,514

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in South Yarra

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,514 in South Yarra, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
South Yarra $2,514

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,591 in South Yarra, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
South Yarra $3,591

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,668 in South Yarra, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
South Yarra $4,668

Brisbane costs about 5% more than South Yarra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and South Yarra sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, South Yarra by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$17.66 A$25.10

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$83.6 A$119

-4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$8.62 A$12.25

32.60%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$3.61 A$5.13

24.93%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.06 A$2.93

43.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$1.76 A$2.51

35.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$10.09 A$14.34

-14.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$8.31 A$11.81

0.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.57 A$2.23

3.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$2.85 A$4.05

-7.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$1.42 A$2.02

63.38%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$4.12 A$5.85

19.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$10.72 A$15.24

-15.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$6.85 A$9.74

33.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$14.97 A$21.27

-4.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$2.75 A$3.91

50.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$2.16 A$3.06

42.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$1.42 A$2.01

114.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$2.83 A$4.02

72.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$1.36 A$1.94

106.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.16 A$3.07

14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.38 A$3.39

1.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.57 A$2.23

-24.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$31.45 A$44.68

22.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$12.67 A$18.01

-0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$5.56 A$7.90

-6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.21 A$7.40

-6.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.70 A$3.84

-87.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$85.6 A$122

-75.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$4.43 A$6.30

-31.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.39 A$1.97

35.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$29.94 A$42.54

36.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.34 A$1.90

8.21%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-0.76%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$25.7K A$36.5K

-0.29%

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

$158 A$224

$233 A$331

-32.28%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$28.22 A$40.10

-7.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$41.43 A$58.9

47.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$55.9 A$79.5

9.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$15.24 A$21.66

46.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$16.70 A$23.73

-16.47%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$2,427 A$3,449

-15.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$30.0K A$42.6K

-57.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$80.6 A$115

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$50.0 A$71.0

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$121 A$172

-6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$131 A$187

-15.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,415 A$2,011

37.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,225 A$1,740

16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$2,227 A$3,164

56.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$1,812 A$2,574

23.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$5,985 A$8,504

55.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$4,234 A$6,016

65.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.9

-1.53%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for South Yarra: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

South Yarra

$1.2K 48.7% 14.5% $207

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

South Yarra

$325 12.9% 10.3% $37

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

South Yarra

$293 11.7% 5.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

South Yarra

$303 12% 23.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

South Yarra

$172 6.9% 9.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

South Yarra

$89 3.6% 0.3% $0.3

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

South Yarra

$108 4.3% 210% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,415 in South Yarra. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $84 in South Yarra. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $325 in South Yarra – so South Yarra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 South Yarra

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

25,147

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brisbane South Yarra 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
South Yarra

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 South Yarra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 5% more than South Yarra, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $3,771 in South Yarra. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in South Yarra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,415 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $84 in South Yarra. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,514 in South Yarra. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,514 in South Yarra to $2,630 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.