Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Wagga Wagga

For one person, living is cheaper in Wagga Wagga: $1,906 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Wagga Wagga
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Wagga Wagga Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Wagga Wagga

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Wagga Wagga

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $1,906 in Wagga Wagga, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Wagga Wagga $1,906

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $2,885 in Wagga Wagga, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Wagga Wagga $2,885

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $3,865 in Wagga Wagga, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Wagga Wagga $3,865

Brisbane costs about 38% more than Wagga Wagga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Wagga Wagga sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Wagga Wagga by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$25.13

$13.65 A$19.48

29.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$114

$90.4 A$129

-11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.31

$10.32 A$14.73

10.76%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.44

$4.02 A$5.74

12.19%

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

$2.95 A$4.22

$3.12 A$4.46

-5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.51 A$3.58

-4.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.29

$8.64 A$12.33

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.93

$10.01 A$14.28

-16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.31

$1.49 A$2.13

8.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.78

$3.21 A$4.59

-17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$2.60 A$3.72

-10.77%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.05

$5.32 A$7.59

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.96

$12.97 A$18.51

-29.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.02

$9.90 A$14.14

-7.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.46

$15.47 A$22.08

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.91

$4.02 A$5.74

2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.38

$3.13 A$4.47

-1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.35

$3.46 A$4.94

-11.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.97

$5.20 A$7.42

-5.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.01

$3.09 A$4.42

-9.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.72 A$3.88

-8.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.44

$2.46 A$3.51

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.40 A$2.00

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$55.0

$45.05 A$64.3

-14.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$18.05

$13.91 A$19.85

-9.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.44

$4.65 A$6.64

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.95

$5.46 A$7.79

-10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$3.18 A$4.54

-89.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.93

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.35

$4.14 A$5.91

-26.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.70

$1.57 A$2.24

20.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$58.2

$42.56 A$60.7

-4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$1.31 A$1.87

10.69%

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

$29.7K A$42.4K

$28.4K A$40.5K

4.58%

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

$25.6K A$36.5K

$26.8K A$38.3K

-4.55%

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

$158 A$225

$186 A$265

-15.12%

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

$26.05 A$37.19

$27.04 A$38.59

-3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$87.3

$56.3 A$80.3

8.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$87.3

$28.02 A$39.99

118.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.91

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.91

$15.87 A$22.65

-12.10%

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

$2,044 A$2,918

$2,202 A$3,143

-7.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.4K

$20.5K A$29.3K

-37.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$118

$77.3 A$110

6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$62.3

$56.3 A$80.4

-22.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$109 A$155

4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$131 A$187

-15.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,774

$907 A$1,294

114.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,043

$714 A$1,019

100.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,973

$1,526 A$2,179

128.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,198

$1,128 A$1,610

98.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

$3,463 A$4,942

169.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,996

$2,408 A$3,436

190.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,915

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.95

-2.35%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Wagga Wagga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Wagga Wagga

$714 37.5% 50.1% $717

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Wagga Wagga

$396 20.8% 9.4% $34

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Wagga Wagga

$274 14.4% 11.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Wagga Wagga

$269 14.1% 9.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Wagga Wagga

$168 8.8% 6.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Wagga Wagga

$60 3.1% 32.9% $29

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Wagga Wagga

$25 * 1.3% 29% $10

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 $907 in Wagga Wagga. 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 $80 in Brisbane versus $90 in Wagga Wagga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $396 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Wagga Wagga

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

49,686

💱 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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Between locations

Brisbane Wagga Wagga 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Wagga Wagga

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 Wagga Wagga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 38% more than Wagga Wagga, 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 $3,945 per month in Brisbane and $2,859 in Wagga Wagga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wagga Wagga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $907 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $1,906 in Wagga Wagga. That makes Wagga Wagga about 28% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $2,202 in Wagga Wagga. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,906 in Wagga Wagga 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.