Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Surfers Paradise

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,520 a month against $2,824 in Surfers Paradise, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
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Surfers Paradise Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Surfers Paradise

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

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,824 in Surfers Paradise, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Surfers Paradise $2,824

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $4,398 in Surfers Paradise, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Surfers Paradise $4,398

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $5,973 in Surfers Paradise, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Surfers Paradise $5,973

Brisbane is about 11% cheaper than Surfers Paradise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Surfers Paradise sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Surfers Paradise by 109%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.29

$17.36 A$24.99

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$101

$105 A$151

-33.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.09

$10.85 A$15.62

3.04%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.13

$4.10 A$5.90

3.90%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.81 A$4.05

2.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.60

$2.40 A$3.46

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$7.86 A$11.31

8.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.66

$7.87 A$11.32

2.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.66 A$2.40

-2.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.83

$2.70 A$3.89

-1.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.17

$2.41 A$3.46

-8.71%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.10

$4.90 A$7.05

0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$8.68 A$12.49

4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

$9.09 A$13.07

-0.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.94

$14.47 A$20.83

-4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.92 A$5.65

4.85%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.08 A$4.43

-2.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.18

$3.37 A$4.85

-13.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$7.01

$4.84 A$6.97

0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.95

$2.82 A$4.06

-2.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.51

$2.44 A$3.50

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.39 A$3.44

0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.76

$2.07 A$2.98

-41.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.9

$37.58 A$54.1

3.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.78

$14.26 A$20.52

-13.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$5.97 A$8.59

-14.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.04

$5.12 A$7.36

-4.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$0.34 A$0.49

5.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.10 A$3.02

45.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.62 A$2.33

9.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$59.2

$35.24 A$50.7

16.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.30 A$1.86

11.54%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$27.0K A$38.9K

-1.18%

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

$27.8K A$39.9K

$28.3K A$40.8K

-2.10%

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

$159 A$228

$212 A$305

-25.20%

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

$25.86 A$37.21

$29.92 A$43.06

-13.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.8

$55.4 A$79.8

8.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$89.1

$66.1 A$95.1

-6.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.93

$14.45 A$20.80

58.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$25.06

$17.42 A$25.06

-0.06%

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

$1,928 A$2,774

$1,944 A$2,798

-0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

$12.4K A$17.8K

1.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

$83.1 A$120

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.5

$55.1 A$79.2

-18.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$159

$111 A$160

-0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

$121 A$175

-10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,773

$1,912 A$2,752

0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,906

$1,570 A$2,260

-15.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,714

$3,770 A$5,425

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,261

$3,067 A$4,413

-26.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$12.0K

$5,895 A$8,483

41.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,569

$4,954 A$7,128

20.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

$3,288 A$4,731

24.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Surfers Paradise: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.6% 18.6% $246

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Surfers Paradise

$380 13.5% 6.3% $23

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Surfers Paradise

$297 10.5% 3% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Surfers Paradise

$298 10.5% 21.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9% 6.2% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Surfers Paradise

$101 3.6% 4.3% $4.1

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4% 66% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,912 in Surfers Paradise. 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 reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Brisbane versus $105 in Surfers Paradise. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $380 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

19,668

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Brisbane Surfers Paradise 71 km

From you

Brisbane
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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 Surfers Paradise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surfers Paradise costs about 12% more than Brisbane, 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 $3,781 per month in Brisbane and $4,235 in Surfers Paradise. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,520 in Brisbane and $2,824 in Surfers Paradise. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $1,928 per month in Brisbane and $1,944 in Surfers Paradise. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,520 in Brisbane and $2,824 in Surfers Paradise. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surfers Paradise makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.