Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Sunshine Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunshine Coast: $2,343 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Sunshine Coast

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,343 in Sunshine Coast, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Sunshine Coast $2,343

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,553 in Sunshine Coast, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Sunshine Coast $3,553

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,762 in Sunshine Coast, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Sunshine Coast $4,762

Brisbane costs about 12% more than Sunshine Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Sunshine Coast sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Sunshine Coast by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.02

$17.72 A$25.18

-0.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$73.9 A$105

8.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.24

$10.54 A$14.98

8.44%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.41

$3.96 A$5.63

13.89%

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

$2.95 A$4.20

$2.88 A$4.09

2.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.40

$2.74 A$3.89

-12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.23

$7.48 A$10.63

15.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.88

$9.21 A$13.08

-9.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.30

$1.33 A$1.89

21.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.77

$1.97 A$2.79

34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.05 A$2.91

13.17%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.02

$4.74 A$6.73

4.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.90

$11.17 A$15.87

-18.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$7.99 A$11.35

14.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.37

$21.27 A$30.22

-32.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.88

$3.15 A$4.47

31.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.36

$2.46 A$3.50

24.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.15 A$4.47

-3.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$4.05 A$5.75

20.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.99

$2.17 A$3.08

29.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.52

$1.68 A$2.39

47.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.22 A$3.15

8.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$2.31 A$3.28

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.8

$47.13 A$67.0

-18.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$15.54 A$22.08

-18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.41

$5.51 A$7.83

-5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$5.92 A$8.41

-17.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$0.37 A$0.52

-8.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.80

$24.32 A$34.56

-13.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.33

$2.12 A$3.02

43.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.69

$1.60 A$2.27

18.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.9

$36.31 A$51.6

12.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.33 A$1.89

9.02%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

$31.3K A$44.5K

-5.07%

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

$25.6K A$36.4K

$31.1K A$44.2K

-17.66%

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

$158 A$224

$139 A$198

13.31%

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

$26.05 A$37.02

$43.15 A$61.3

-39.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.9

$66.7 A$94.8

-8.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.9

$51.8 A$73.5

18.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.77

$16.50 A$23.45

35.52%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.82

$15.63 A$22.20

-10.75%

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

$2,044 A$2,905

$2,168 A$3,080

-5.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$65.0 A$92.4

26.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.0

$112 A$160

-61.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$96.4 A$137

17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$99.8 A$142

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,762

$1,351 A$1,920

43.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,034

$1,130 A$1,606

26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,951

$2,410 A$3,424

44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,184

$2,026 A$2,879

10.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$5,540 A$7,872

68.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

$5,183 A$7,365

35.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

$3,508 A$4,985

18.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.75

1.04%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3% 21% $301

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1% 4.4% $16

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8% 3.6% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6% 1.7% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2% 6.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5% 6.8% $6

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5% 3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,351 in Sunshine Coast. 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 18% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane versus $74 in Sunshine Coast. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $378 in Sunshine Coast – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

284,131

💱 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Brisbane vs Sunshine Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 12% more than Sunshine Coast, 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 $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $3,515 in Sunshine Coast. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunshine Coast, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,351 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80 in Brisbane and $74 in Sunshine Coast. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,343 in Sunshine Coast to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Sunshine Coast. 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.