Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Topeka, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Topeka, KS: $1,901 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,901

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Topeka, KS

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $1,901 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Brisbane $2,518
Topeka, KS $1,901

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $2,863 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Brisbane $3,720
Topeka, KS $2,863

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $3,825 in Topeka, KS, rent included.

Brisbane $4,922
Topeka, KS $3,825

Brisbane costs about 32% more than Topeka, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Topeka, KS sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Topeka, KS by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.39 A$25.02

$13.27 $13.27

31.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 A$102

$51.2 $51.2

38.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 A$15.95

$10.03 $10.03

10.57%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$3.40 $3.40

30.29%

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

$2.90 A$4.17

$2.35 $2.35

23.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$1.80 $1.80

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.42 A$12.12

$4.46 $4.46

88.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.96

$8.81 $8.81

-5.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 A$2.40

$0.86 $0.86

94.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.92

$2.70 $2.70

0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$2.94 $2.94

-22.11%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.94

$4.09 $4.09

17.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$13.03

$8.93 $8.93

1.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$8.26 $8.26

11.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 A$20.45

$15.10 $15.10

-5.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.20

$4.90 $4.90

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.59 $1.59

91.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$5.13 $5.13

-41.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 A$6.84

$4.13 $4.13

15.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.92

$3.48 $3.48

-21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.37

$2.61 $2.61

-10.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$1.85 $1.85

30.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$0.80 $0.80

48.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.67 A$55.7

$9.17 $9.17

321.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$12.05 $12.05

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$1.85 $1.85

191.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$1.65 $1.65

210.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.53

$3.91 $3.91

-90.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.81

$49.53 $49.53

-58.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 A$4.20

$2.70 $2.70

8.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.68

$1.52 $1.52

22.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$59.1

$33.60 $33.60

22.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.88 $0.88

59.09%

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

$29.7K A$42.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

12.91%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$26.3K $26.3K

-1.34%

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

$159 A$229

$145 $145

9.39%

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

$26.52 A$38.16

$47.02 $47.02

-43.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 A$87.2

$65.0 $65.0

-6.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$87.6

$44.11 $44.11

37.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.97

$15.09 $15.09

47.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 A$20.34

$13.38 $13.38

5.68%

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

$1,952 A$2,808

$434 $434

349.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$120

$38.71 $38.71

115.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.69 A$62.9

$28.08 $28.08

55.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$163

$89.7 $89.7

26.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$160

$80.4 $80.4

37.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$792 $792

144.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 A$1,902

$835 $835

58.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,408 A$4,904

$1,283 $1,283

165.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,226

$1,496 $1,496

49.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,271 A$11.9K

$1,443 $1,443

473.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,920 A$8,518

$1,334 $1,334

343.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$6,020

$3,708 $3,708

12.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.24

-6.89%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5%

Topeka, KS

$835 43.9% 36.8% $487

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$363 14.4%

Topeka, KS

$322 16.9% 11.4% $41

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Topeka, KS

$234 12.3% 23.6% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$246 9.8%

Topeka, KS

$257 13.5% 4.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6.3%

Topeka, KS

$107 5.6% 32.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.5%

Topeka, KS

$71 3.7% 20.5% $18

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Topeka, KS

$75 4% 119% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $792 in Topeka, KS. 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 13% 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 $51.0 in Topeka, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $322 – making Topeka, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

09:18 9:18 AM

15 h behind Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

124,331

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Topeka, KS 13,650 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Topeka, KS

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 Topeka, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 32% more than Topeka, KS, 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 $2,851 in Topeka, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $51.0 in Topeka, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Topeka, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,901, than in Brisbane at $2,518. In Topeka, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Topeka, KS – 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 Topeka, KS. 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.