Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Southern Cross

For one person, living is cheaper in Southern Cross: $2,532 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
Learn more

Southern Cross Living Index

Jump to prices

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Southern Cross

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,532 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Southern Cross $2,532

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,583 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Southern Cross $3,583

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $4,635 in Southern Cross, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Southern Cross $4,635

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Southern Cross, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Southern Cross sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Southern Cross by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.42

$19.39 A$27.68

-8.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$61.2 A$87.3

39.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.09

$10.68 A$15.24

5.62%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.35

$3.47 A$4.96

28.24%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.40 A$3.43

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.49

$1.77 A$2.53

38.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.28

$6.93 A$9.90

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$8.36 A$11.93

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$1.58 A$2.26

11.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$2.72 A$3.88

-5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.22 A$3.17

-1.80%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.06

$2.76 A$3.94

79.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.67

$9.26 A$13.21

3.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.86

$9.44 A$13.48

-4.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.98

$14.66 A$20.92

-4.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.01

$3.87 A$5.53

8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$3.00 A$4.28

6.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.99

$3.16 A$4.52

-11.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.89

$4.63 A$6.61

4.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.62 A$3.74

6.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.44 A$3.49

-3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.34 A$3.33

0.85%

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$55.8

$35.49 A$50.7

10.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.32

$14.19 A$20.25

-9.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.53

$4.75 A$6.78

10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.01

$5.35 A$7.64

-8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.71 A$3.87

-86.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.52

$85.7 A$122

-75.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.72

$3.56 A$5.08

-26.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.57 A$2.24

19.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.5

$39.44 A$56.3

5.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.27 A$1.81

16.54%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$28.9K A$41.3K

0.29%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$26.8K A$38.3K

-3.35%

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

$160 A$228

$208 A$297

-23.12%

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

$26.65 A$38.04

$27.83 A$39.72

-4.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.4

$57.5 A$82.0

6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.2

$56.8 A$81.1

7.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.34

$18.03 A$25.73

25.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.19

$14.09 A$20.10

0.43%

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

$1,982 A$2,829

$2,165 A$3,091

-8.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$20.6K A$29.4K

30.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$76.2 A$109

11.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.2

$55.4 A$79.1

-16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$109 A$155

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$122 A$174

-10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,793

$1,377 A$1,966

42.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,057

$1,227 A$1,751

17.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,968

$2,255 A$3,219

54.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,188

$1,829 A$2,611

22.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$5,968 A$8,518

60.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,903

$4,897 A$6,989

41.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,901

$7,095 A$10.1K

-41.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.25

-6.56%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Southern Cross: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Southern Cross

$1.2K 48.5% 14.9% $214

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Southern Cross

$359 14.2% 0.8% $3

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Southern Cross

$297 11.7% 4.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Southern Cross

$293 11.6% 18.4% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Southern Cross

$163 6.4% 3% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Southern Cross

$85 3.4% 4.9% $4.4

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Southern Cross

$108 4.3% 210% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,377 in Southern Cross. 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 72% higher in Southern Cross, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $61 in Southern Cross. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $359 – making Southern Cross the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

10:17 10:17 AM

2 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

700

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brisbane Southern Cross 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Southern Cross

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 Southern Cross: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Southern Cross, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,798 in Southern Cross. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southern Cross, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,377 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,532 in Southern Cross. That makes Southern Cross about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,165 in Southern Cross. 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 $2,532 in Southern Cross, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,532 in Southern Cross 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.