Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: $1,500 a month against $2,560 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
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Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,560

/mo nomad

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Brisbane vs $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Brisbane $2,560
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $1,500

A couple spends around $3,774 per month in Brisbane vs $2,506 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Brisbane $3,774
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $2,506

A family of three spends $4,987 per month in Brisbane vs $3,512 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Brisbane $4,987
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $3,512

Brisbane costs about 71% more than Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brisbane and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk sit above the global median – Brisbane by 91%, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk by 12%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.36

$17.70 ₽1,506

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 A$107

$81.0 ₽6,895

-8.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 A$15.66

$10.63 ₽904

2.92%

Cappuccino

$4.24 A$6.07

$3.47 ₽295

22.19%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$1.81 ₽154

56.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 A$3.54

$0.90 ₽76.5

175.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 A$12.29

$5.20 ₽442

65.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.80

$5.72 ₽487

44.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.81 ₽154

-9.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.75

$2.34 ₽199

11.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 A$3.22

Eggs

$4.91 A$7.02

$3.58 ₽304

37.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 A$13.54

$18.63 ₽1,585

-49.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 A$12.89

$8.44 ₽719

6.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 A$19.95

$16.29 ₽1,386

-14.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 A$5.98

$4.76 ₽405

-12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.33

$3.14 ₽268

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.84

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.93

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.40

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.79

$2.37 ₽202

-47.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.83 A$55.6

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.68

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.10

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.27 A$30.44

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 A$4.20

$3.45 ₽293

-14.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.56

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.65 A$59.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.07

$0.85 ₽72.2

70.59%

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

$26.9K A$38.6K

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

$28.0K A$40.1K

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

$156 A$223

$115 ₽9,759

36.12%

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

$25.94 A$37.12

$14.32 ₽1,218

81.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 A$85.4

$9.63 ₽819

519.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 A$87.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.05 A$32.99

$35.90 ₽3,054

-35.79%

Cinema Ticket

$17.49 A$25.03

$7.02 ₽597

149.15%

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

$1,943 A$2,780

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K A$18.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.9 A$117

$179 ₽15.2K

-54.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.63 A$63.9

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$120 ₽10.2K

-7.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 A$2,825

$818 ₽69.6K

141.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,945

$638 ₽54.3K

113.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,333 A$4,770

$1,774 ₽150.9K

87.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 A$3,281

$1,392 ₽118.5K

64.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,100 A$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,066 A$8,682

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,133 A$5,915

$1,413 ₽120.2K

192.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

24.33

-76.12%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 4, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 53.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$638 43.5% 53.1% $721

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$359 14.1%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$274 * 18.7% 23.8% $85

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$263 18% 14% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$242 9.5%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$139 9.5% 42.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$134 * 9.2% 14.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$96 3.8%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$14 * 1% 85.4% $82

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.4%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$3.5 * 0.2% 90% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,974 in Brisbane versus $818 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 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 193% 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 $74.0 in Brisbane versus $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Groceries tell a different story – $359 in Brisbane vs $274 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – so Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇷🇺 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

19:04 7:04 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

180,467

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Brisbane Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Brisbane
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 71% more than Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 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 $3,841 per month in Brisbane and $2,250 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,560 in Brisbane and $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That's a gap of about 71%.

Groceries cost about 31% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, where all-in costs run around $1,500, than in Brisbane at $2,560. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. 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.