Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Brisbane Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Brisbane

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,186 per month in Cheltenham vs $2,342 in Brisbane, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,213 per month in Cheltenham vs $3,309 in Brisbane, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,240 per month in Cheltenham vs $4,277 in Brisbane, rent included.

Cheltenham is about 7% cheaper than Brisbane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cheltenham and Brisbane sit above the global median – Cheltenham by 64%, Brisbane by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 £15.38

$16.35 A$23.42

26.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 £61.6

$71.8 A$103

15.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.22

$9.97 A$14.29

10.83%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.47

$3.63 A$5.21

28.65%

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

$2.08 £1.55

$2.66 A$3.81

-21.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$2.25 A$3.23

-40.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 £3.95

$6.66 A$9.55

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 £4.96

$7.62 A$10.92

-12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.62 A$2.31

-9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 £0.52

$2.31 A$3.31

-70.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.81 A$2.59

14.36%

Eggs

$4.55 £3.38

$4.47 A$6.41

1.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.72 £3.51

$8.13 A$11.65

-41.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 £5.26

$8.14 A$11.66

-13.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 £11.82

$13.67 A$19.58

16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$3.22 A$4.61

-36.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.84 A$4.07

-39.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$2.74 A$3.92

-26.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.67

$4.21 A$6.04

-14.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$2.54 A$3.64

-47.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$2.27 A$3.25

-19.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$2.16 A$3.10

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.28 A$1.84

23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.22 £12.81

$33.03 A$47.32

-47.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.41

$12.55 A$17.98

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$4.58 A$6.57

-57.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.47

$4.20 A$6.02

-52.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 £2.64

$0.35 A$0.50

917.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 £42.06

$26.71 A$38.27

111.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 £3.02

$2.32 A$3.33

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.52 A$2.18

-8.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.73 £19.14

$33.81 A$48.44

-23.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.20 A$1.72

58.33%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$29.0K A$41.5K

34.30%

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

$41.6K £30.9K

$22.2K A$31.8K

87.54%

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

$262 £195

$144 A$207

81.48%

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

$15.81 £11.76

$26.00 A$37.26

-39.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.79 £32.57

$53.4 A$76.5

-17.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.78 £32.56

$49.12 A$70.4

-10.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.35

$17.30 A$24.79

34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.30

$12.85 A$18.42

7.78%

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

$1,411 £1,049

$1,605 A$2,300

-12.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K £10.2K

$8,910 A$12.8K

54.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 £83.1

$72.0 A$103

55.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.74 £26.59

$42.95 A$61.5

-16.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$91.2 A$131

23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 £73.5

$102 A$147

-3.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 £867

$1,623 A$2,325

-28.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 £702

$1,247 A$1,786

-24.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 £1,682

$2,583 A$3,701

-12.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 £1,247

$1,889 A$2,706

-11.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,683 £4,227

$8,235 A$11.8K

-30.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,809 £4,321

$5,623 A$8,056

3.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,756 £3,538

$4,180 A$5,988

13.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.79

6.24

-7.21%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: July 12, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,166 in Cheltenham versus $1,623 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 14% higher in Cheltenham, 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 $83.0 in Cheltenham versus $72.0 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $259 in Cheltenham vs $328 in Brisbane – so Cheltenham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cheltenham vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 7% more than Cheltenham, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,279 per month in Cheltenham and $3,514 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheltenham, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $83.0 in Cheltenham and $72.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheltenham, where all-in costs run around $2,186, than in Brisbane at $2,342. In Cheltenham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheltenham – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cheltenham. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.