Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Yamba NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamba NSW: $2,331 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
120

Cost of Living Index in Yamba NSW
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Yamba NSW Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Yamba NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Yamba NSW

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

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Brisbane vs $2,331 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

Brisbane $2,630
Yamba NSW $2,331

A couple spends around $3,801 per month in Brisbane vs $3,399 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

Brisbane $3,801
Yamba NSW $3,399

A family of three spends $4,972 per month in Brisbane vs $4,466 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

Brisbane $4,972
Yamba NSW $4,466

Brisbane costs about 13% more than Yamba NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Yamba NSW sit above the global median – Brisbane by 93%, Yamba NSW by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 A$24.94

$17.85 A$25.28

-1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 A$113

$50.9 A$72.0

57.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 A$16.19

$11.11 A$15.73

2.88%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.39

$4.52 A$6.40

-0.22%

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

$2.95 A$4.18

$2.44 A$3.46

20.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.39

$2.05 A$2.90

16.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.61 A$12.20

$7.90 A$11.19

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.84

$6.96 A$9.86

20.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.62 A$2.30

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$2.68 A$3.79

-1.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.25 A$3.19

3.11%

Eggs

$4.94 A$7.00

$4.90 A$6.94

0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 A$12.86

$9.25 A$13.10

-1.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.92

$9.10 A$12.89

0.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.31

$14.23 A$20.16

0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.86

$4.34 A$6.14

-4.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.35

$3.17 A$4.50

-3.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.02 A$4.28

0.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.92

$4.82 A$6.82

1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.87 A$4.06

-2.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.51

$2.34 A$3.32

5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.33 A$3.30

3.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.24 A$1.75

-4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.54 A$54.6

$38.44 A$54.5

0.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.92

$12.66 A$17.93

-0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.39

$5.30 A$7.50

-1.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$4.92 A$6.97

-1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.48

$2.74 A$3.88

-87.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.97 A$29.71

$73.1 A$104

-71.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.32

$3.09 A$4.38

-1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.68

$1.87 A$2.65

1.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 A$57.7

$41.70 A$59.1

-2.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.41 A$1.99

2.84%

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

$29.7K A$42.1K

$29.8K A$42.2K

-0.34%

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

$25.6K A$36.3K

$25.5K A$36.1K

0.33%

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

$158 A$223

$162 A$230

-2.89%

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

$26.05 A$36.91

$26.59 A$37.67

-2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 A$86.6

$60.3 A$85.4

1.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 A$86.6

$58.0 A$82.2

5.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.67

$19.49 A$27.61

14.73%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 A$19.76

$14.27 A$20.21

-2.24%

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

$2,044 A$2,896

$1,974 A$2,796

3.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

$12.8K A$18.2K

0.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$117

$84.8 A$120

-2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 A$61.8

$44.72 A$63.4

-2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$161

$111 A$158

1.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$157

$110 A$156

0.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,754

$1,424 A$2,017

36.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 A$2,028

$1,076 A$1,524

33.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,484 A$4,936

$2,037 A$2,886

71.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 A$3,174

$1,765 A$2,500

26.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

$5,125 A$7,260

81.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,921

$5,432 A$7,695

28.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,871

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Last update for Yamba NSW: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4%

Yamba NSW

$1.1K 46.2% 24.8% $355

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.8%

Yamba NSW

$363 15.6% 0.5% $1.6

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.8%

Yamba NSW

$302 12.9% 2.8% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.3%

Yamba NSW

$249 10.7% 1.8% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Yamba NSW

$158 6.8% 0.1% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Yamba NSW

$87 3.7% 2.8% $2.5

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Yamba NSW

$97 4.1% 177% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,944 in Brisbane versus $1,424 in Yamba NSW. 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 $51 in Yamba NSW. Groceries tell a different story – $362 in Brisbane vs $363 in Yamba NSW – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Yamba NSW

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

13:25 1:25 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

6,913

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Brisbane Yamba NSW 220 km

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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 Yamba NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 13% more than Yamba NSW, 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 $3,497 in Yamba NSW. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yamba NSW, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,424 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,630 in Brisbane and $2,331 in Yamba NSW. That makes Yamba NSW about 11% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,044 per month in Brisbane and $1,974 in Yamba NSW. 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 $2,331 in Yamba NSW, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Yamba NSW – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.