Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Byron Bay and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Byron Bay: $2,417 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Byron Bay
Learn more

Byron Bay Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index

Jump to prices

Byron Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,417

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Byron Bay 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 Byron Bay and in Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,417 per month in Byron Bay vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Byron Bay $2,417
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,485 per month in Byron Bay vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Byron Bay $3,485
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,552 per month in Byron Bay vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Byron Bay $4,552
Brisbane $4,972

Byron Bay is about 8% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Byron Bay and Brisbane sit above the global median – Byron Bay by 78%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 A$24.71

$17.61 A$25.15

-1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 A$117

$80.0 A$114

2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 A$16.00

$11.43 A$16.32

-1.92%

Cappuccino

$3.63 A$5.19

$4.51 A$6.45

-19.51%

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

$1.42 A$2.03

$2.95 A$4.22

-51.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.52

$2.39 A$3.42

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 A$11.82

$8.61 A$12.30

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.49 A$12.12

$8.36 A$11.94

1.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.62 A$2.31

1.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 A$3.90

$2.65 A$3.79

3.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.33

$2.32 A$3.32

0.43%

Eggs

$4.78 A$6.83

$4.94 A$7.05

-3.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$12.94

$9.08 A$12.97

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 A$13.23

$9.12 A$13.03

1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 A$20.63

$14.34 A$20.47

0.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 A$6.09

$4.14 A$5.91

2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.30

$3.07 A$4.38

-1.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.37

$3.05 A$4.35

0.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.79

$4.89 A$6.98

-2.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.06

$2.81 A$4.01

1.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.36

$2.48 A$3.54

-5.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.39

$2.41 A$3.44

-1.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 A$1.79

$1.19 A$1.70

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.79 A$48.25

$38.54 A$55.0

-12.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$18.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.42 A$7.73

$5.22 A$7.45

3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 A$6.99

$4.87 A$6.95

0.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 A$3.90

$0.34 A$0.48

702.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 A$117

$20.97 A$29.95

292.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 A$4.25

$3.05 A$4.35

-2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 A$2.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.61 A$59.4

$40.76 A$58.2

2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 A$2.02

$1.45 A$2.07

-2.76%

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

$29.7K A$42.4K

-0.06%

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

$24.9K A$35.6K

$25.6K A$36.6K

-2.57%

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

$160 A$228

$158 A$225

1.11%

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

$14.29 A$20.40

$26.05 A$37.21

-45.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.53 A$60.7

$61.1 A$87.3

-30.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 A$80.4

$61.2 A$87.3

-7.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.44 A$24.91

$22.36 A$31.93

-22.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 A$19.69

$13.95 A$19.93

-1.15%

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

$2,024 A$2,890

$2,044 A$2,919

-1.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$12.9K A$18.4K

-1.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 A$100

$82.4 A$118

-14.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.97 A$29.94

$43.63 A$62.3

-51.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.1 A$102

$113 A$162

-37.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$159

$111 A$158

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 A$1,988

$1,944 A$2,776

-28.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 A$1,762

$1,431 A$2,044

-13.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,283 A$3,261

$3,484 A$4,976

-34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 A$2,618

$2,240 A$3,200

-18.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,798 A$8,281

$9,322 A$13.3K

-37.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,944 A$7,060

$7,003 A$10.0K

-29.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,883 A$6,973

$4,144 A$5,918

17.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

-13.94%

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

Last update for Byron Bay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Byron Bay

$1.2K 51.1%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 16% $198

Groceries & Markets

Byron Bay

$364 15.1%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 0.7% $2.6

Eating Out

Byron Bay

$290 12%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 7.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Byron Bay

$216 9%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 13.2% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Byron Bay

$123 5.1%

Brisbane

$158 6% 27.9% $34

Getting Around

Byron Bay

$106 4.4%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Byron Bay

$84 3.5%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 6.2% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,392 in Byron Bay 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.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Byron Bay, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Byron Bay versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Byron Bay

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

21:01 9:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

1 h behind Byron Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,538

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Byron Bay Brisbane 140 km

From you

Byron Bay
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

Byron Bay vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 9% more than Byron Bay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,625 per month in Byron Bay 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 Byron Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,392 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,417 in Byron Bay and $2,630 in Brisbane. That makes Byron Bay about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,417 in Byron Bay and $2,630 in Brisbane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,417 in Byron Bay 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.