Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankston and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Frankston: $2,438 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Frankston, Australia
Brisbane, Australia
Frankston
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,438
/mo nomad
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,630
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,438 per month in Frankston vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Frankston $2,438
  • Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,403 per month in Frankston vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Frankston $3,403
  • Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,369 per month in Frankston vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Frankston $4,369
  • Brisbane $4,972

Frankston is about 7% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Frankston and Brisbane sit above the global median – Frankston by 79%, Brisbane by 93%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.24 A$21.75
$17.61 A$25.13
-13.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.8 A$85.4
$80.0 A$114
-25.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.72 A$15.31
$11.43 A$16.31
-6.21%
Cappuccino
$2.74 A$3.92
$4.51 A$6.44
-39.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.18 A$4.54
$2.95 A$4.22
7.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 A$2.97
$2.39 A$3.42
-12.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$10.03 A$14.31
$8.61 A$12.29
16.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.81 A$9.72
$8.36 A$11.93
-18.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 A$2.16
$1.62 A$2.31
-6.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.62 A$3.74
$2.65 A$3.78
-1.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 A$2.93
$2.32 A$3.32
-11.21%
Eggs
$3.78 A$5.39
$4.94 A$7.05
-23.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.62 A$15.16
$9.08 A$12.96
16.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.57 A$13.66
$9.12 A$13.02
4.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.80 A$11.13
$14.34 A$20.46
-45.61%
Apples (1kg)
$2.67 A$3.82
$4.14 A$5.91
-35.51%
Banana (1kg)
$3.16 A$4.51
$3.07 A$4.38
2.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.76 A$3.94
$3.05 A$4.35
-9.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.72 A$3.88
$4.89 A$6.97
-44.38%
Potato (1kg)
$3.04 A$4.34
$2.81 A$4.01
8.19%
Onion (1kg)
$2.60 A$3.70
$2.48 A$3.54
4.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 A$3.45
$2.41 A$3.44
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.38 A$1.96
$1.19 A$1.70
15.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.80 A$61.1
$38.54 A$55.0
11.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.28 A$8.96
$12.65 A$18.05
-50.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.25 A$4.64
$5.22 A$7.44
-37.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.22 A$6.02
$4.87 A$6.95
-13.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.61 A$5.16
$0.34 A$0.48
961.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.1 A$119
$20.97 A$29.93
296.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.44 A$6.33
$3.05 A$4.35
45.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 A$2.05
$1.89 A$2.70
-23.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.55 A$43.60
$40.76 A$58.2
-25.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 A$1.65
$1.45 A$2.07
-20.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K A$42.4K
$29.7K A$42.4K
-0.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K A$37.6K
$25.6K A$36.5K
2.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$228 A$326
$158 A$225
44.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.68 A$15.25
$26.05 A$37.19
-59.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.8 A$81.0
$61.1 A$87.3
-7.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.0 A$81.4
$61.2 A$87.3
-6.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.67 A$25.22
$22.36 A$31.91
-20.97%
Cinema Ticket
$17.47 A$24.93
$13.95 A$19.91
25.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,450 A$3,497
$2,044 A$2,918
19.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.4K A$43.3K
$12.9K A$18.4K
135.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.9 A$114
$82.4 A$118
-2.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.2 A$73.1
$43.63 A$62.3
17.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.9 A$126
$113 A$162
-22.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.59 A$69.4
$111 A$158
-56.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,405 A$2,006
$1,944 A$2,774
-27.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,247 A$1,779
$1,431 A$2,043
-12.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,219 A$3,167
$3,484 A$4,973
-36.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,841 A$2,628
$2,240 A$3,198
-17.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,812 A$8,295
$9,322 A$13.3K
-37.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,351 A$7,637
$7,003 A$9,996
-23.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankston
Brisbane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,360 A$6,224
$4,144 A$5,915
5.22%
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 Frankston: 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
Frankston
$1.2K
Brisbane
$1.4K 14.8% $185
Groceries & Markets
Frankston
$302
Brisbane
$362 19.6% $59
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankston
$296
Brisbane
$245 17.2% $51
Eating Out
Frankston
$272
Brisbane
$310 14.2% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Frankston
$120
Brisbane
$158 30.9% $37
Getting Around
Frankston
$109
Brisbane
$35 68.1% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Frankston
$92
Brisbane
$89 3.1% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,405 in Frankston 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 5% higher in Frankston, 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 $60 in Frankston versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 vs $362 – making Frankston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Frankston
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🕒 Local time
14:47 2:47 PM
13:47 1:47 PM
1 h behind Frankston
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,331
2,287,896
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frankston Brisbane 1,400 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Frankston
  • 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
Frankston vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Frankston or Brisbane?
Brisbane costs about 8% more than Frankston, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Frankston and in Brisbane?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,658 per month in Frankston and $3,945 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Frankston or Brisbane?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Frankston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,405 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.
Are groceries more expensive in Frankston or in Brisbane?
Groceries cost about 20% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Frankston and in Brisbane?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Frankston and $80 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Frankston or Brisbane?
It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,438 in Frankston to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Frankston compared to Brisbane?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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