Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geelong and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Geelong and in Brisbane: $2,602 and $2,520 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Geelong
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Geelong Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Geelong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,602

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,602 per month in Geelong vs $2,520 in Brisbane, rent included.

Geelong $2,602
Brisbane $2,520

A couple spends around $3,495 per month in Geelong vs $3,730 in Brisbane, rent included.

Geelong $3,495
Brisbane $3,730

A family of three spends $4,387 per month in Geelong vs $4,940 in Brisbane, rent included.

Geelong $4,387
Brisbane $4,940

Geelong costs about 3% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 A$25.27

$17.58 A$25.29

-0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 A$118

$69.8 A$101

17.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 A$14.80

$11.18 A$16.09

-7.96%

Cappuccino

$3.80 A$5.47

$4.26 A$6.13

-10.80%

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

$2.80 A$4.03

$2.88 A$4.15

-2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.50 A$3.60

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.39

$8.55 A$12.30

-23.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 A$11.30

$8.10 A$11.66

-3.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.62 A$2.33

-4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 A$3.65

$2.66 A$3.83

-4.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.70

$2.20 A$3.17

-15.00%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.14

$4.93 A$7.10

-13.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 A$11.15

$9.03 A$12.99

-14.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.90

$9.04 A$13.01

6.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.35 A$22.08

$13.86 A$19.94

10.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 A$5.92

$4.11 A$5.92

0.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.00 A$4.32

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.18

$2.91 A$4.18

-0.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$4.87 A$7.01

-33.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.74 A$3.95

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.12

$2.44 A$3.51

-11.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 A$2.98

$2.40 A$3.46

-13.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.24

$1.22 A$1.76

27.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.24 A$65.1

$38.84 A$55.9

16.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 A$18.19

$12.35 A$17.78

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 A$5.45

$5.12 A$7.37

-26.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 A$4.27

$4.90 A$7.04

-39.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.45 A$10.72

$0.36 A$0.52

1969.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 A$184

$20.68 A$29.76

518.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 A$6.41

$3.05 A$4.39

45.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.77 A$2.55

-23.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.97 A$43.12

$41.12 A$59.2

-27.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.85

$1.45 A$2.08

-11.03%

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

$28.0K A$40.2K

$26.7K A$38.4K

4.69%

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

$26.3K A$37.9K

$27.8K A$39.9K

-5.15%

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

$155 A$222

$159 A$228

-2.62%

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

$25.90 A$37.28

$25.86 A$37.21

0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$81.3

$60.3 A$86.8

-6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$80.1

$61.9 A$89.1

-10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.25 A$21.95

$22.88 A$32.93

-33.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 A$18.30

$17.41 A$25.06

-26.94%

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

$2,138 A$3,076

$1,928 A$2,774

10.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.6K A$42.6K

$12.6K A$18.1K

135.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 A$114

$84.4 A$121

-5.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 A$70.4

$44.85 A$64.5

9.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 A$135

$110 A$159

-14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$151

$109 A$157

-4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 A$1,818

$1,927 A$2,773

-34.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 A$1,933

$1,325 A$1,906

1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 A$2,471

$3,276 A$4,714

-47.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 A$2,167

$2,266 A$3,261

-33.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,557 A$9,436

$8,315 A$12.0K

-21.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,281 A$7,600

$5,955 A$8,569

-11.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,086 A$4,441

$4,100 A$5,900

-24.73%

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 Geelong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geelong

$1.3K 51.6%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6% 1.4% $19

Groceries & Markets

Geelong

$340 13.1%

Brisbane

$357 14.2% 5.3% $18

Eating Out

Geelong

$285 11%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 7.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geelong

$237 9.1%

Brisbane

$245 9.7% 3.3% $7.9

Getting Around

Geelong

$169 6.5%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 79.9% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Geelong

$147 5.7%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 6.6% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Geelong

$81 3.1%

Brisbane

$97 3.8% 19.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,264 in Geelong versus $1,927 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 33% higher in Brisbane, 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 $82.0 in Geelong versus $70.0 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Geelong vs $357 in Brisbane – so Geelong wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Geelong

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

17:39 5:39 PM

1 h behind Geelong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,239

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Geelong Brisbane 1,440 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Geelong
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

Geelong vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geelong costs about 3% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,904 per month in Geelong and $3,781 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Geelong – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Geelong and $70.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Brisbane, where all-in costs run around $2,520, than in Geelong at $2,602. In Brisbane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Geelong it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – 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 Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Geelong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.