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

😐 Solo nomad: Canberra is 16.6% more expensive than Brisbane without rent, and 5.3% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Canberra is 17.6% more expensive than Brisbane without rent, and 5.1% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.96 A$22.18
$16.52 A$22.96
-3.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.8 A$123
$71.0 A$98.6
25.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 A$13.42
$9.58 A$13.31
0.84%
Cappuccino
$3.42 A$4.76
$3.70 A$5.15
-7.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 A$3.58
$2.65 A$3.68
-2.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 A$3.12
$2.13 A$2.96
5.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.49 A$9.02
$6.40 A$8.89
1.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.68 A$10.68
$7.86 A$10.92
-2.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 A$1.91
$1.54 A$2.14
-10.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 A$3.59
$2.28 A$3.16
13.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.78 A$2.47
$1.87 A$2.60
-4.81%
Eggs
$4.06 A$5.64
$4.44 A$6.17
-8.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.80 A$13.62
$8.02 A$11.14
22.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.77 A$12.19
$8.17 A$11.36
7.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.77 A$20.53
$13.61 A$18.92
8.52%
Apples (1kg)
$3.21 A$4.46
$3.23 A$4.49
-0.62%
Banana (1kg)
$2.87 A$3.99
$2.73 A$3.79
5.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.02 A$4.20
$2.62 A$3.64
15.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.65 A$6.46
$4.39 A$6.11
5.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.40 A$3.34
$2.47 A$3.43
-2.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 A$3.00
$2.33 A$3.24
-7.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.45 A$3.40
$2.17 A$3.01
12.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 A$1.79
$1.25 A$1.73
2.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$30.39 A$42.25
$32.32 A$44.93
-5.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.61 A$20.30
$13.99 A$19.44
4.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.98 A$6.93
$4.67 A$6.49
6.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 A$8.43
$4.23 A$5.88
43.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.33 A$4.63
$0.35 A$0.48
851.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$122 A$169
$27.21 A$37.83
348.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.93 A$5.47
$2.34 A$3.26
67.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 A$2.49
$1.52 A$2.11
17.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.36 A$57.5
$34.02 A$47.28
21.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 A$1.64
$1.24 A$1.73
-4.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.0K A$40.4K
$28.7K A$39.9K
1.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.6K A$31.5K
$22.0K A$30.6K
2.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$222 A$308
$144 A$200
53.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.06 A$41.78
$25.28 A$35.14
18.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 A$73.1
$53.7 A$74.7
-2.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.0 A$82.0
$48.21 A$67.0
22.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.25 A$28.14
$17.36 A$24.12
16.65%
Cinema Ticket
$13.71 A$19.06
$12.82 A$17.81
6.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,750 A$2,433
$1,641 A$2,281
6.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.0K A$18.1K
$8,873 A$12.3K
46.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.3 A$99.2
$72.7 A$101
-1.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.5 A$77.1
$43.30 A$60.2
28.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 A$139
$93.4 A$130
6.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 A$158
$102 A$142
11.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,580 A$2,196
$1,602 A$2,226
-1.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,163 A$1,616
$1,251 A$1,739
-7.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,816 A$3,915
$2,625 A$3,649
7.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,756 A$2,441
$1,911 A$2,656
-8.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$10.8K A$15.0K
$8,031 A$11.2K
34.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,723 A$9,345
$5,374 A$7,470
25.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Canberra
Brisbane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,044 A$5,621
$4,215 A$5,859
-4.06%
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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: April 14, 2026

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

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