Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlton: $2,328 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,328

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,328 per month in Carlton vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Carlton $2,328
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,353 per month in Carlton vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Carlton $3,353
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,379 per month in Carlton vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Carlton $4,379
Brisbane $4,972

Carlton is about 12% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Carlton and Brisbane sit above the global median – Carlton by 71%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 A$24.65

$17.61 A$25.04

-1.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 A$98.2

$80.0 A$114

-13.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.62

$11.43 A$16.25

-10.06%

Cappuccino

$3.03 A$4.31

$4.51 A$6.42

-32.82%

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

$2.70 A$3.84

$2.95 A$4.20

-8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.39 A$3.40

-14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 A$9.51

$8.61 A$12.24

-22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 A$9.39

$8.36 A$11.89

-21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.85

$1.62 A$2.30

-19.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 A$2.96

$2.65 A$3.77

-21.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.98

$2.32 A$3.30

-40.09%

Eggs

$3.41 A$4.84

$4.94 A$7.02

-30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.78

$9.08 A$12.91

14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 A$14.17

$9.12 A$12.97

9.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 A$21.24

$14.34 A$20.39

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.71

$4.14 A$5.89

-20.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.93

$3.07 A$4.36

-10.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.66

$3.05 A$4.33

7.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 A$6.79

$4.89 A$6.95

-2.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.81 A$4.00

-14.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.09

$2.48 A$3.52

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$2.41 A$3.42

-6.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.28

$1.19 A$1.69

-24.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.30 A$35.97

$38.54 A$54.8

-34.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 A$15.09

$12.65 A$17.98

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.57 A$7.92

$5.22 A$7.42

6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.50

$4.87 A$6.92

8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.38

$0.34 A$0.48

805.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 A$118

$20.97 A$29.82

294.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.22

$3.05 A$4.34

20.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 A$1.76

$1.89 A$2.69

-34.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.46 A$37.62

$40.76 A$58.0

-35.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.45 A$2.06

-11.03%

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

$18.2K A$25.9K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-38.61%

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

$14.0K A$20.0K

$25.6K A$36.4K

-45.13%

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

$93.2 A$132

$158 A$224

-40.95%

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

$28.34 A$40.29

$26.05 A$37.05

8.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.79 A$66.5

$61.1 A$86.9

-23.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 A$45.29

$61.2 A$87.0

-47.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 A$25.46

$22.36 A$31.79

-19.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 A$19.14

$13.95 A$19.84

-3.51%

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

$2,108 A$2,997

$2,044 A$2,907

3.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.6K

$12.9K A$18.3K

-3.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$82.4 A$117

-2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$72.5

$43.63 A$62.0

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 A$99.1

$113 A$161

-38.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$187

$111 A$158

18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,004

$1,944 A$2,764

-27.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,756

$1,431 A$2,035

-13.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 A$3,157

$3,484 A$4,955

-36.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 A$2,612

$2,240 A$3,186

-18.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,665 A$8,055

$9,322 A$13.3K

-39.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,619 A$6,567

$7,003 A$9,958

-34.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,904 A$8,395

$4,144 A$5,893

42.47%

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 Carlton: 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

Carlton

$1.2K 53.1%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 15.9% $197

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$340 14.6%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 6.4% $22

Eating Out

Carlton

$272 11.7%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 14.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$168 7.2%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 45.5% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.4%

Brisbane

$158 6% 5.5% $8.2

Getting Around

Carlton

$105 4.5%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 66.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$59 2.5%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 51.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,409 in Carlton 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 42% higher in Carlton, 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 $69 in Carlton versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $362 – making Carlton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

1 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Carlton Brisbane 1,370 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
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

Carlton vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 13% more than Carlton, 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 $3,491 per month in Carlton 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 Carlton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,409 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 6% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Carlton and $80 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,328 in Carlton 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 $2,328 in Carlton to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.