Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Townsville

For one person, living costs are similar in Brisbane and in Townsville: $2,644 and $2,606 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
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Townsville Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,606

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Townsville

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

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,606 in Townsville, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Townsville $2,606

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,842 in Townsville, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Townsville $3,842

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $5,078 in Townsville, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Townsville $5,078

Brisbane and Townsville have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Brisbane and Townsville sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Townsville by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.42

$22.82 A$32.57

-21.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$70.4 A$101

21.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.09

$12.16 A$17.35

-7.24%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.35

$3.58 A$5.11

24.30%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.64 A$3.76

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.49

$2.47 A$3.53

-0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.28

$8.53 A$12.17

0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$7.20 A$10.28

16.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$1.77 A$2.53

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$2.27 A$3.23

13.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$1.36 A$1.94

60.29%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.06

$5.23 A$7.46

-5.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.67

$8.16 A$11.65

17.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.86

$9.89 A$14.11

-8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.98

$13.37 A$19.09

4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.01

$4.13 A$5.90

1.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.70 A$3.85

17.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.99

$3.58 A$5.11

-22.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.89

$4.29 A$6.12

12.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.64 A$3.77

6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.85 A$4.07

-17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.30 A$3.28

2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$3.26 A$4.65

-63.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.8

$30.58 A$43.65

27.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.32

$10.71 A$15.28

19.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.53

$6.93 A$9.89

-23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.01

$8.54 A$12.19

-42.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.11 A$3.02

-82.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.52

$55.2 A$78.8

-61.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.72

$2.62 A$3.75

-0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.04 A$2.92

-7.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.5

$44.02 A$62.8

-5.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.24 A$1.76

19.35%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$28.1K A$40.2K

3.05%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$27.8K A$39.7K

-6.95%

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

$160 A$228

$383 A$546

-58.27%

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

$26.65 A$38.04

$36.42 A$52.0

-26.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.4

$66.0 A$94.2

-7.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.2

$55.4 A$79.0

10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.34

$19.73 A$28.16

14.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.19

$15.23 A$21.74

-7.09%

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

$1,982 A$2,829

$2,084 A$2,975

-4.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$12.2K A$17.5K

119.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$92.5 A$132

-8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.2

$70.1 A$100

-33.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$164 A$234

-32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$131 A$188

-16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,793

$1,286 A$1,835

52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,057

$1,025 A$1,463

40.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,968

$2,313 A$3,301

50.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,188

$1,845 A$2,634

21.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$4,976 A$7,103

92.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,903

$4,112 A$5,870

68.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,901

$4,066 A$5,804

1.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.68

2.82%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Townsville: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Townsville

$1K 39.3% 28.9% $417

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Townsville

$389 14.9% 7.4% $27

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Townsville

$340 13% 9.4% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Townsville

$485 18.6% 95.9% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Townsville

$206 7.9% 30% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Townsville

$86 3.3% 4% $3.5

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Townsville

$77 2.9% 120% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,286 in Townsville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $70 in Townsville. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $389 in Townsville – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Townsville

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

173,724

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brisbane Townsville 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Townsville

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 Townsville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,910 in Townsville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Townsville, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,286 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,982 per month in Brisbane and $2,084 in Townsville. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,606 in Townsville. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,606 in Townsville to $2,644 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.