Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Brisbane Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Brisbane

😐 Solo nomad: Canberra is 17% more expensive than Brisbane without rent, and 6.7% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Canberra is 18.5% more expensive than Brisbane without rent, and 7.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.19 A$24.8
$16.24 A$24.88
-0.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.8 A$136
$71.2 A$109
24.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.72 A$14.89
$9.6 A$14.7
1.25%
Cappuccino
$3.46 A$5.3
$3.6 A$5.51
-3.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 A$4
$2.74 A$4.2
-4.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 A$3.53
$2.15 A$3.29
7.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.39 A$9.78
$6.36 A$9.75
0.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.66 A$11.74
$7.97 A$12.2
-3.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 A$2.11
$1.6 A$2.45
-13.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 A$4.06
$2.22 A$3.39
19.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 A$2.79
$1.8 A$2.76
1.11%
Eggs
$4.24 A$6.49
$4.47 A$6.85
-5.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.7 A$14.86
$8.05 A$12.33
20.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 A$14.22
$8.09 A$12.4
14.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.54 A$22.27
$13.4 A$20.53
8.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.24 A$4.96
$3.25 A$4.98
-0.31%
Banana (1kg)
$2.97 A$4.55
$2.75 A$4.21
8.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 A$4.67
$2.66 A$4.07
14.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.66 A$7.13
$4.23 A$6.48
10.17%
Potato (1kg)
$2.3 A$3.52
$2.41 A$3.69
-4.56%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 A$3.32
$2.26 A$3.46
-3.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.35 A$3.6
$2.24 A$3.44
4.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 A$1.95
$1.24 A$1.89
3.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$31.15 A$47.73
$32.96 A$50.5
-5.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.94 A$19.82
$13.07 A$20.02
-0.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.03 A$7.71
$4.47 A$6.85
12.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.82 A$8.91
$4.04 A$6.19
44.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.2 A$4.9
$0.34 A$0.53
841.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$120 A$184
$26.98 A$41.33
344.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.89 A$5.96
$2.23 A$3.41
74.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 A$2.64
$1.56 A$2.4
10.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.45 A$63.5
$33.95 A$52
22.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 A$1.8
$1.23 A$1.89
-4.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K A$44.8K
$28.6K A$43.8K
2.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K A$34.6K
$22.6K A$34.7K
-0.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 A$336
$144 A$221
51.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.78 A$45.63
$25.53 A$39.11
16.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.7 A$79.2
$53.9 A$82.6
-4.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.5 A$92.7
$49.01 A$75.1
23.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.35 A$31.17
$17.02 A$26.07
19.57%
Cinema Ticket
$13.79 A$21.13
$13.17 A$20.18
4.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,765 A$2,704
$1,646 A$2,521
7.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.4K A$20.5K
$8,863 A$13.6K
50.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72 A$110
$72.8 A$111
-1.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.4 A$86.3
$44.21 A$67.7
27.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.9 A$153
$94.5 A$145
5.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 A$177
$101 A$155
13.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,587 A$2,431
$1,588 A$2,433
-0.11%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,167 A$1,788
$1,237 A$1,894
-5.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,777 A$4,255
$2,568 A$3,935
8.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,737 A$2,660
$1,885 A$2,888
-7.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,525 A$11.5K
$8,805 A$13.5K
-14.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,945 A$7,575
$6,597 A$10.1K
-25.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,636 A$5,570
$3,896 A$5,968
-6.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.29
6.24
0.80%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 27, 2025

Last update for Brisbane: October 28, 2025

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