Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gold Coast and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $2,922 in Gold Coast, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Gold Coast
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Gold Coast Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Gold Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,922

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,922 per month in Gold Coast vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Gold Coast $2,922
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $4,497 per month in Gold Coast vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Gold Coast $4,497
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $6,073 per month in Gold Coast vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Gold Coast $6,073
Brisbane $4,972

Gold Coast costs about 11% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Gold Coast and Brisbane sit above the global median – Gold Coast by 115%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 A$29.59

$17.61 A$25.04

18.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$149

$80.0 A$114

30.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$15.09

$11.43 A$16.25

-7.09%

Cappuccino

$3.76 A$5.34

$4.51 A$6.42

-16.63%

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

$2.83 A$4.02

$2.95 A$4.20

-4.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.50

$2.39 A$3.40

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 A$11.05

$8.61 A$12.24

-9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.51 A$10.68

$8.36 A$11.89

-10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.62 A$2.30

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.76

$2.65 A$3.77

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.35

$2.32 A$3.30

1.72%

Eggs

$4.90 A$6.97

$4.94 A$7.02

-0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 A$12.93

$9.08 A$12.91

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.51

$9.12 A$12.97

4.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 A$20.92

$14.34 A$20.39

2.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.61

$4.14 A$5.89

-4.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.54

$3.07 A$4.36

3.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.93

$3.05 A$4.33

13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 A$5.91

$4.89 A$6.95

-14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.68

$2.81 A$4.00

-7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.48 A$3.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.48

$2.41 A$3.42

1.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 A$3.30

$1.19 A$1.69

94.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.55 A$64.8

$38.54 A$54.8

18.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 A$20.17

$12.65 A$17.98

12.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.73 A$8.15

$5.22 A$7.42

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 A$9.56

$4.87 A$6.92

38.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 A$3.88

$0.34 A$0.48

702.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 A$79.7

$20.97 A$29.82

167.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 A$3.15

$3.05 A$4.34

-27.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.34

$1.89 A$2.69

-12.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.90 A$52.5

$40.76 A$58.0

-9.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 A$1.96

$1.45 A$2.06

-4.83%

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

$29.2K A$41.5K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-1.73%

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

$26.6K A$37.8K

$25.6K A$36.4K

3.97%

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

$218 A$310

$158 A$224

38.26%

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

$31.16 A$44.31

$26.05 A$37.05

19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 A$77.4

$61.1 A$86.9

-11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 A$86.3

$61.2 A$87.0

-0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.58 A$25.00

$22.36 A$31.79

-21.38%

Cinema Ticket

$13.50 A$19.20

$13.95 A$19.84

-3.23%

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

$2,134 A$3,034

$2,044 A$2,907

4.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K A$17.2K

$12.9K A$18.3K

-6.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 A$109

$82.4 A$117

-7.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 A$76.2

$43.63 A$62.0

22.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$150

$113 A$161

-6.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$176

$111 A$158

11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 A$3,260

$1,944 A$2,764

17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 A$2,258

$1,431 A$2,035

10.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,278 A$4,662

$3,484 A$4,955

-5.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 A$4,263

$2,240 A$3,186

33.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K A$15.4K

$9,322 A$13.3K

15.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,117 A$10.1K

$7,003 A$9,958

1.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,855

$4,144 A$5,893

-0.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

5.81

-2.07%

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

Last update for Gold Coast: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gold Coast

$1.6K 54.4%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 9.9% $157

Groceries & Markets

Gold Coast

$384 13.2%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 5.9% $23

Eating Out

Gold Coast

$318 10.9%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 2.5% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gold Coast

$304 10.4%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 19.3% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Gold Coast

$162 5.5%

Brisbane

$158 6% 2.6% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Gold Coast

$88 3%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 1.6% $1.4

Getting Around

Gold Coast

$77 2.7%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 55% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,293 in Gold Coast 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 $105 in Gold Coast versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Gold Coast

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

Same time as Gold Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

607,665

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Gold Coast vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gold Coast costs about 11% 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 $4,382 per month in Gold Coast 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 Brisbane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,944 there versus $2,293 in Gold Coast.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Gold Coast, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Gold Coast and $80 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,922 in Gold Coast and $2,630 in Brisbane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

For expats, Brisbane is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 11% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.