Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tokyo: $1,648 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Tokyo

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $1,648 in Tokyo, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Tokyo $1,648

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $2,604 in Tokyo, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Tokyo $2,604

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $3,561 in Tokyo, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Tokyo $3,561

Brisbane costs about 53% more than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Tokyo sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Tokyo by 22%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$25.02

$7.79 ¥1,230

123.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$102

$38.57 ¥6,094

83.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.95

$4.99 ¥788

122.24%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$3.58 ¥565

23.74%

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

$2.90 A$4.17

$1.57 ¥249

84.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$0.90 ¥142

170.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$12.12

$3.75 ¥593

124.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.96

$5.22 ¥825

59.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.40

$1.55 ¥246

7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.92

$1.75 ¥277

55.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$5.56 ¥879

-58.81%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.94

$2.25 ¥355

114.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$11.31 ¥1,787

-19.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$6.76 ¥1,068

35.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.45

$16.83 ¥2,658

-15.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.20

$4.66 ¥736

-7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$2.27 ¥359

33.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$4.33 ¥683

-30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.84

$5.23 ¥826

-9.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.92

$3.33 ¥526

-18.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.37

$3.00 ¥474

-22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$1.16 ¥183

108.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$0.83 ¥130

43.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.7

$3.88 ¥613

896.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$9.53 ¥1,506

32.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$1.63 ¥257

231.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$2.62 ¥414

95.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.53

$1.22 ¥193

-69.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.81

$62.3 ¥9,848

-66.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.19 ¥505

-8.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.68

$3.09 ¥489

-39.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$59.1

$18.70 ¥2,954

119.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.11 ¥175

26.13%

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

$29.7K A$42.8K

$22.0K ¥3.5M

35.16%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$15.1K ¥2.4M

72.39%

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

$159 A$229

$148 ¥23.4K

7.40%

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

$26.52 A$38.16

$22.75 ¥3,594

16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$87.2

$29.86 ¥4,717

102.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$87.6

$65.5 ¥10.4K

-7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.97

$26.19 ¥4,137

-15.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.34

$13.22 ¥2,089

6.96%

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

$1,952 A$2,808

$1,314 ¥207.6K

48.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.3K

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-28.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$120

$54.3 ¥8,584

53.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.9

$32.73 ¥5,172

33.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$163

$65.4 ¥10.3K

73.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$160

$70.6 ¥11.2K

57.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$1,288 ¥203.4K

50.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,902

$684 ¥108.1K

93.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,904

$2,507 ¥396.1K

35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,226

$1,460 ¥230.6K

53.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.9K

$9,204 ¥1.5M

-10.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,518

$4,226 ¥667.6K

40.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$6,020

$2,994 ¥473.0K

39.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

2.25

158.22%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Tokyo

$684 41.5% 48.2% $638

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Tokyo

$326 19.8% 10.2% $37

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Tokyo

$159 9.7% 47.9% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Tokyo

$201 12.2% 18.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Tokyo

$100 6.1% 36.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Tokyo

$92 5.6% 3.2% $2.8

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Tokyo

$86 5.2% 150% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $1,288 in Tokyo. 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 40% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane versus $39.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $326 – making Tokyo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

08:29 8:29 AM

1 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Tokyo 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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 Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 53% more than Tokyo, 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 $3,777 per month in Brisbane and $2,473 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 11% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane and $39.00 in Tokyo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Tokyo, where all-in costs run around $1,648, than in Brisbane at $2,518. In Tokyo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Tokyo costs $1,648 versus $2,518 in Brisbane. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Tokyo. 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.