Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Toowoomba

For one person, living is cheaper in Toowoomba: $2,131 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Toowoomba
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Toowoomba Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Toowoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Toowoomba

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,131 in Toowoomba, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Toowoomba $2,131

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $2,950 in Toowoomba, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Toowoomba $2,950

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $3,769 in Toowoomba, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Toowoomba $3,769

Brisbane costs about 23% more than Toowoomba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Toowoomba sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Toowoomba by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.13

$16.65 A$23.77

5.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$72.4 A$103

10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.31

$9.54 A$13.61

19.81%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.44

$3.73 A$5.33

20.91%

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

$2.95 A$4.22

$2.82 A$4.03

4.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.46 A$3.51

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.29

$6.53 A$9.33

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.93

$7.21 A$10.29

15.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.31

$1.51 A$2.15

7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.78

$2.26 A$3.22

17.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$1.98 A$2.82

17.17%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.05

$4.71 A$6.73

4.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.96

$8.94 A$12.76

1.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.02

$8.99 A$12.84

1.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.46

$11.88 A$16.95

20.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.91

$3.10 A$4.42

33.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.38

$1.77 A$2.53

73.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.35

$1.39 A$1.98

119.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.97

$2.15 A$3.07

127.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.01

$2.51 A$3.58

11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.24 A$3.19

10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.44

$2.42 A$3.46

-0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.03 A$1.47

15.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$55.0

$35.11 A$50.1

9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$18.05

$14.25 A$20.34

-11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.44

$4.68 A$6.68

11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.95

$6.81 A$9.72

-28.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$3.05 A$4.35

-88.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.93

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.35

$2.21 A$3.16

38.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.70

$1.60 A$2.28

18.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.2

$35.25 A$50.3

15.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.36 A$1.94

6.62%

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

$29.7K A$42.4K

$28.9K A$41.2K

2.93%

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

$25.6K A$36.5K

$23.3K A$33.2K

10.06%

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

$158 A$225

$77.3 A$110

104.02%

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

$26.05 A$37.19

$31.09 A$44.38

-16.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$87.3

$54.6 A$77.9

12.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$87.3

$42.30 A$60.4

44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.91

$17.86 A$25.49

25.20%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.91

$13.09 A$18.68

6.57%

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

$2,044 A$2,918

$2,103 A$3,002

-2.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.4K

$7,119 A$10.2K

81.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$118

$76.2 A$109

8.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.3

$53.8 A$76.9

-18.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$76.5 A$109

48.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$120 A$172

-7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,774

$1,221 A$1,742

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,043

$1,141 A$1,629

25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,973

$1,622 A$2,315

114.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,198

$1,428 A$2,038

56.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$3,367 A$4,805

176.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,996

$2,742 A$3,913

155.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,915

$3,874 A$5,529

6.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.69

2.11%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Toowoomba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Toowoomba

$1.1K 53.6% 20.3% $290

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Toowoomba

$314 14.7% 13.2% $48

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Toowoomba

$275 12.9% 11.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Toowoomba

$163 7.7% 33.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Toowoomba

$147 6.9% 6.7% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Toowoomba

$68 3.2% 23.1% $21

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Toowoomba

$22 * 1.1% 35.7% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,221 in Toowoomba. 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 7% 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $72 in Toowoomba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $314 – making Toowoomba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Toowoomba

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

108,398

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brisbane vs Toowoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 23% more than Toowoomba, 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 $3,197 in Toowoomba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Toowoomba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,221 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,131 in Toowoomba. That makes Toowoomba about 19% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $2,103 in Toowoomba. 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 $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,131 in Toowoomba, 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 $2,131 in Toowoomba 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.

If budget matters most, go with Toowoomba. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.