Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forster and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Forster and in Brisbane: $2,595 and $2,644 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,595

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,595 per month in Forster vs $2,644 in Brisbane, rent included.

Forster $2,595
Brisbane $2,644

A couple spends around $3,737 per month in Forster vs $3,821 in Brisbane, rent included.

Forster $3,737
Brisbane $3,821

A family of three spends $4,879 per month in Forster vs $4,999 in Brisbane, rent included.

Forster $4,879
Brisbane $4,999

Forster and Brisbane have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Forster and Brisbane sit above the global median – Forster by 92%, Brisbane by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.09

$17.81 A$25.42

-1.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 A$131

$85.4 A$122

7.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 A$15.21

$11.28 A$16.09

-5.50%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.45 A$6.35

-12.36%

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

$2.82 A$4.03

$2.80 A$4.00

0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.18

$2.45 A$3.49

-9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 A$9.81

$8.60 A$12.28

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.78

$8.36 A$11.94

-34.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.76 A$2.51

-6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 A$4.16

$2.57 A$3.66

13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.18 A$3.12

9.17%

Eggs

$5.62 A$8.03

$4.95 A$7.06

13.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 A$17.14

$9.58 A$13.67

25.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.39

$9.01 A$12.86

4.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 A$24.09

$14.00 A$19.98

20.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.21 A$6.01

-7.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.43

$3.18 A$4.54

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.85

$2.79 A$3.99

21.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.03

$4.83 A$6.89

-12.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$2.80 A$4.00

15.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.36 A$3.36

5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.36 A$3.37

0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.73

$1.19 A$1.70

1.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.92 A$64.1

$39.08 A$55.8

14.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$20.06

$12.84 A$18.32

9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 A$5.66

$5.27 A$7.53

-24.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.81

$4.91 A$7.01

-17.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 A$4.04

$0.36 A$0.52

686.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.7 A$121

$21.39 A$30.52

295.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.99

$2.61 A$3.72

34.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.88 A$2.68

-12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.37 A$57.6

$41.67 A$59.5

-3.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.15

$1.48 A$2.11

2.03%

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

$30.0K A$42.8K

$29.0K A$41.4K

3.34%

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

$27.9K A$39.8K

$25.9K A$37.0K

7.66%

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

$252 A$360

$160 A$228

58.01%

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

$27.69 A$39.52

$26.65 A$38.04

3.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 A$80.7

$61.2 A$87.4

-7.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 A$81.3

$61.1 A$87.2

-6.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 A$24.87

$22.66 A$32.34

-23.08%

Cinema Ticket

$17.45 A$24.91

$14.15 A$20.19

23.32%

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

$2,354 A$3,360

$1,982 A$2,829

18.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K A$39.8K

$26.8K A$38.3K

3.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 A$115

$85.1 A$121

-5.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$102

$46.37 A$66.2

53.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$111 A$159

2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$186

$110 A$156

18.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,985

$1,957 A$2,793

-28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 A$1,737

$1,441 A$2,057

-15.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,287 A$3,264

$3,481 A$4,968

-34.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 A$2,561

$2,234 A$3,188

-19.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,826 A$8,316

$9,571 A$13.7K

-39.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,884 A$6,970

$6,938 A$9,903

-29.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,901

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.84

1.37%

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

Last update for Forster: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Forster

$1.2K 46.9%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 18.4% $224

Groceries & Markets

Forster

$379 14.6%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 4.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forster

$337 13%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 26.4% $89

Eating Out

Forster

$285 11%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 9% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Forster

$178 6.9%

Brisbane

$158 6% 10.9% $19

Getting Around

Forster

$108 4.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Forster

$92 3.5%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 2.7% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Forster versus $1,957 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 $92 in Forster versus $85 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forster

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

05:04 5:04 AM

1 h behind Forster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,554

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Forster Brisbane 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Forster
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

Forster vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,893 per month in Forster and $3,965 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Forster, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,391 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $2,354 per month in Forster and $1,982 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 $2,595 in Forster and $2,644 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 $2,595 in Forster to $2,644 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.