Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Broken Hill and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Broken Hill: $2,371 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Broken Hill
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Broken Hill Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Broken Hill

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,371

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Broken Hill and in Brisbane

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Broken Hill and in Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,371 per month in Broken Hill vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Broken Hill $2,371
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,506 per month in Broken Hill vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Broken Hill $3,506
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,641 per month in Broken Hill vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Broken Hill $4,641
Brisbane $4,972

Broken Hill is about 10% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Broken Hill and Brisbane sit above the global median – Broken Hill by 74%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 A$23.94

$17.61 A$25.15

-4.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 A$119

$80.0 A$114

4.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 A$13.01

$11.43 A$16.32

-20.30%

Cappuccino

$4.13 A$5.90

$4.51 A$6.45

-8.43%

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

$2.79 A$3.99

$2.95 A$4.22

-5.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 A$3.33

$2.39 A$3.42

-2.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 A$10.66

$8.61 A$12.30

-13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 A$10.00

$8.36 A$11.94

-16.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.52

$1.62 A$2.31

8.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.65 A$3.79

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.91

$2.32 A$3.32

-12.07%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.91

$4.94 A$7.05

12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 A$13.74

$9.08 A$12.97

5.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 A$14.54

$9.12 A$13.03

11.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 A$23.35

$14.34 A$20.47

14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 A$6.07

$4.14 A$5.91

2.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.06

$3.07 A$4.38

-7.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$3.05 A$4.35

-2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 A$6.74

$4.89 A$6.98

-3.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.32

$2.81 A$4.01

7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.48 A$3.54

-5.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 A$3.19

$2.41 A$3.44

-7.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.19 A$1.70

31.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$48.29 A$69.0

$38.54 A$55.0

25.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 A$21.76

$12.65 A$18.06

20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.21 A$6.01

$5.22 A$7.45

-19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 A$7.82

$4.87 A$6.95

12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.85

$0.34 A$0.48

694.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 A$109

$20.97 A$29.95

265.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 A$5.39

$3.05 A$4.35

23.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 A$2.57

$1.89 A$2.70

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.58 A$63.7

$40.76 A$58.2

9.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.17

$1.45 A$2.07

4.83%

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

$30.7K A$43.9K

$29.7K A$42.4K

3.39%

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

$24.5K A$35.0K

$25.6K A$36.6K

-4.28%

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

$205 A$293

$158 A$225

29.96%

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

$25.11 A$35.87

$26.05 A$37.21

-3.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.6

$61.1 A$87.3

-6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 A$90.9

$61.2 A$87.3

4.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 A$21.63

$22.36 A$31.93

-32.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 A$19.96

$13.95 A$19.93

0.14%

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

$2,372 A$3,388

$2,044 A$2,919

16.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K A$30.9K

$12.9K A$18.4K

68.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 A$98.5

$82.4 A$118

-16.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.07 A$68.7

$43.63 A$62.3

10.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$113 A$162

-6.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$178

$111 A$158

12.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 A$2,277

$1,944 A$2,776

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,528

$1,431 A$2,044

-25.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 A$3,216

$3,484 A$4,976

-35.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 A$2,457

$2,240 A$3,200

-23.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,079 A$7,253

$9,322 A$13.3K

-45.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,926 A$7,035

$7,003 A$10.0K

-29.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,918

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.81

1.55%

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

Last update for Broken Hill: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Broken Hill

$1.1K 45.1%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 33.8% $362

Groceries & Markets

Broken Hill

$383 16.1%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 5.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Broken Hill

$287 12.1%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 14.7% $42

Eating Out

Broken Hill

$283 11.9%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 9.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Broken Hill

$156 6.6%

Brisbane

$158 6% 0.8% $1.3

Getting Around

Broken Hill

$100 4.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 65.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Broken Hill

$92 3.9%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 2.8% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,594 in Broken Hill versus $1,944 in Brisbane. 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 $83 in Broken Hill versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Broken Hill

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

16:12 4:12 PM

30 min behind Broken Hill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,456

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Broken Hill Brisbane 1,220 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Broken Hill
Brisbane

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

Broken Hill vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 11% more than Broken Hill, 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 $3,556 per month in Broken Hill and $3,945 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Broken Hill, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,594 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83 in Broken Hill and $80 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,371 in Broken Hill 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.