Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Forbes: $2,543 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,543 per month in Forbes vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Forbes $2,543
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,751 per month in Forbes vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Forbes $3,751
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,958 per month in Forbes vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Forbes $4,958
Brisbane $4,972

Forbes is about 3% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Forbes and Brisbane sit above the global median – Forbes by 87%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 A$22.54

$17.61 A$24.94

-9.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.9 A$134

$80.0 A$113

18.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 A$16.02

$11.43 A$16.19

-1.05%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$4.99

$4.51 A$6.39

-21.95%

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

$2.99 A$4.23

$2.95 A$4.18

1.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.36

$2.39 A$3.39

-0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 A$9.89

$8.61 A$12.20

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 A$10.49

$8.36 A$11.84

-11.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.40

$1.62 A$2.29

4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.43

$2.65 A$3.76

-8.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.03

$2.32 A$3.29

-7.76%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.08

$4.94 A$7.00

1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.40

$9.08 A$12.86

11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.49

$9.12 A$12.92

4.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 A$19.43

$14.34 A$20.31

-4.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 A$5.35

$4.14 A$5.86

-8.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.26

$3.07 A$4.35

-1.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.04

$3.05 A$4.32

16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.97

$4.89 A$6.92

0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.81 A$3.98

-11.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$2.48 A$3.51

2.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.23

$2.41 A$3.41

-5.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.19 A$1.69

21.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.43 A$65.8

$38.54 A$54.6

20.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.51

$12.65 A$17.92

-2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.73

$5.22 A$7.39

-9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 A$8.21

$4.87 A$6.90

19.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.76

$0.34 A$0.48

682.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$20.97 A$29.71

274.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 A$5.25

$3.05 A$4.32

21.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 A$2.44

$1.89 A$2.68

-8.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.70 A$64.7

$40.76 A$57.7

12.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.78

$1.45 A$2.05

-13.79%

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

$33.8K A$47.9K

$29.7K A$42.1K

13.85%

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

$28.1K A$39.9K

$25.6K A$36.3K

9.95%

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

$195 A$276

$158 A$223

23.53%

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

$23.66 A$33.52

$26.05 A$36.91

-9.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.6

$61.1 A$86.6

-12.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 A$83.7

$61.2 A$86.6

-3.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 A$27.93

$22.36 A$31.67

-11.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$17.07

$13.95 A$19.76

-13.62%

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

$2,301 A$3,259

$2,044 A$2,896

12.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$30.2K

$12.9K A$18.3K

65.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$114

$82.4 A$117

-2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 A$80.4

$43.63 A$61.8

30.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$165

$113 A$161

2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$175

$111 A$157

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 A$2,207

$1,944 A$2,754

-19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,810

$1,431 A$2,028

-10.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 A$3,488

$3,484 A$4,936

-29.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,892

$2,240 A$3,174

-8.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,405

$9,322 A$13.2K

-43.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,146 A$7,290

$7,003 A$9,921

-26.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,871

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 Forbes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 12% $154

Groceries & Markets

Forbes

$364 14.3%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 0.6% $2.1

Eating Out

Forbes

$275 10.8%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 13.1% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forbes

$272 10.7%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 9.9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Forbes

$170 6.7%

Brisbane

$158 6% 7.2% $12

Getting Around

Forbes

$101 4%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 65.7% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Forbes

$83 3.3%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,558 in Forbes 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Forbes versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forbes

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

1 h behind Forbes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,481

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Forbes Brisbane 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Forbes
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

Forbes vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Forbes, 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 $3,814 per month in Forbes 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 Forbes, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,558 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,543 in Forbes and $2,630 in Brisbane. That makes Forbes about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,301 per month in Forbes and $2,044 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,543 in Forbes 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 $2,543 in Forbes to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.