Cost of Living Comparison Between Darwin and Brisbane Cost of Living Comparison Between Darwin and Brisbane

😐 Solo nomad: Darwin is 16% more expensive than Brisbane without rent, and 11.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Darwin is 12.8% more expensive than Brisbane without rent, and 18% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.19 A$25.83
$16.37 A$23.24
11.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.6 A$117
$70.9 A$101
16.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.53 A$17.79
$9.70 A$13.77
29.18%
Cappuccino
$3.46 A$4.91
$3.66 A$5.19
-5.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 A$3.96
$2.64 A$3.75
5.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 A$4.42
$2.16 A$3.07
43.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.41 A$9.10
$6.54 A$9.29
-1.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.87 A$11.17
$7.76 A$11.02
1.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 A$1.63
$1.56 A$2.21
-26.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.71 A$3.84
$2.19 A$3.12
23.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 A$2.90
$1.81 A$2.57
12.71%
Eggs
$4.09 A$5.81
$4.33 A$6.15
-5.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.61 A$13.64
$8.08 A$11.47
18.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.25 A$11.71
$8.15 A$11.57
1.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.34 A$11.84
$13.33 A$18.93
-37.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.68 A$5.22
$3.24 A$4.61
13.58%
Banana (1kg)
$2.92 A$4.14
$2.84 A$4.04
2.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.72 A$5.28
$2.62 A$3.73
41.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.35 A$6.18
$4.40 A$6.24
-1.14%
Potato (1kg)
$3.00 A$4.26
$2.44 A$3.46
22.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 A$3.18
$2.35 A$3.34
-4.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.17 A$3.08
$2.15 A$3.05
0.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 A$3.47
$1.29 A$1.83
89.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$25.21 A$35.80
$33.08 A$46.98
-23.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.82 A$18.20
$12.89 A$18.31
-0.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$9.21 A$13.07
$4.53 A$6.43
103.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.11 A$10.10
$4.14 A$5.88
71.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.24 A$3.18
$0.35 A$0.49
540.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 A$63.5
$27.34 A$38.83
63.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.58 A$5.09
$2.29 A$3.25
56.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.13 A$1.61
$1.58 A$2.25
-28.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$45.29 A$64.3
$33.51 A$47.58
35.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 A$1.65
$1.20 A$1.70
-3.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K A$41.0K
$29.0K A$41.2K
-0.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K A$46.6K
$22.3K A$31.7K
47.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$234 A$333
$144 A$205
62.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.24 A$50.1
$25.80 A$36.63
36.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.1 A$84.0
$52.4 A$74.4
12.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.4 A$108
$48.56 A$69.0
57.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.79 A$22.42
$16.90 A$24.00
-6.57%
Cinema Ticket
$15.58 A$22.12
$13.17 A$18.70
18.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,540 A$2,187
$1,622 A$2,303
-5.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,787 A$11.1K
$8,690 A$12.3K
-10.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.5 A$111
$71.6 A$102
9.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.64 A$63.4
$42.89 A$60.9
4.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 A$147
$93.2 A$132
11.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$130 A$184
$100 A$143
29.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,658 A$2,354
$1,588 A$2,254
4.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,319 A$1,873
$1,247 A$1,771
5.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,715 A$3,856
$2,601 A$3,694
4.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,293 A$3,257
$1,923 A$2,730
19.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,520 A$6,418
$8,024 A$11.4K
-43.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,479 A$4,940
$5,269 A$7,481
-33.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Darwin
Brisbane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,108 A$5,833
$4,397 A$6,243
-6.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.4
6.24
2.56%

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

Last update for Darwin: March 2, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: February 28, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Similar cities