Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goulburn and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Goulburn: $2,369 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Goulburn, Australia
Brisbane, Australia
Goulburn
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,369
/mo nomad
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,630
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,369 per month in Goulburn vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Goulburn $2,369
  • Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,337 per month in Goulburn vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Goulburn $3,337
  • Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,306 per month in Goulburn vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Goulburn $4,306
  • Brisbane $4,972

Goulburn is about 10% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Goulburn and Brisbane sit above the global median – Goulburn by 74%, Brisbane by 93%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.52 A$24.90
$17.61 A$25.03
-0.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.7 A$127
$80.0 A$114
12.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.61 A$12.24
$11.43 A$16.24
-24.67%
Cappuccino
$3.20 A$4.55
$4.51 A$6.42
-29.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.86 A$4.07
$2.95 A$4.20
-3.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 A$3.15
$2.39 A$3.40
-7.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.03 A$11.41
$8.61 A$12.24
-6.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.46 A$10.61
$8.36 A$11.88
-10.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 A$1.35
$1.62 A$2.30
-41.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 A$2.47
$2.65 A$3.77
-34.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 A$3.27
$2.32 A$3.30
-0.86%
Eggs
$4.99 A$7.09
$4.94 A$7.02
1.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.11 A$17.21
$9.08 A$12.90
33.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.42 A$13.39
$9.12 A$12.97
3.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.76 A$23.82
$14.34 A$20.38
16.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.52
$4.14 A$5.88
-23.19%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 A$2.54
$3.07 A$4.36
-41.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 A$2.52
$3.05 A$4.33
-41.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.54 A$5.04
$4.89 A$6.95
-27.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.42 A$3.43
$2.81 A$4.00
-13.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.35 A$1.92
$2.48 A$3.52
-45.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 A$1.97
$2.41 A$3.42
-42.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 A$1.47
$1.19 A$1.69
-12.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.00 A$64.0
$38.54 A$54.8
16.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.20 A$11.66
$12.65 A$17.98
-35.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.11 A$5.83
$5.22 A$7.41
-21.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.21 A$5.99
$4.87 A$6.92
-13.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.85 A$4.05
$0.34 A$0.48
738.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.9 A$118
$20.97 A$29.81
295.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.85 A$4.05
$3.05 A$4.33
-6.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 A$2.34
$1.89 A$2.69
-13.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.71 A$56.5
$40.76 A$57.9
-2.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 A$2.12
$1.45 A$2.06
2.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K A$42.3K
$29.7K A$42.2K
0.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.6K A$39.2K
$25.6K A$36.4K
7.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$105 A$149
$158 A$224
-33.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.97 A$39.76
$26.05 A$37.03
7.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.8 A$80.8
$61.1 A$86.9
-7.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.9 A$86.5
$61.2 A$86.9
-0.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.12 A$24.33
$22.36 A$31.78
-23.43%
Cinema Ticket
$8.35 A$11.86
$13.95 A$19.83
-40.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,393 A$3,402
$2,044 A$2,906
17.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.8K A$39.5K
$12.9K A$18.3K
115.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.0 A$114
$82.4 A$117
-2.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.0 A$99.4
$43.63 A$62.0
60.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 A$160
$113 A$161
-0.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 A$183
$111 A$158
16.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,398 A$1,987
$1,944 A$2,763
-28.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,226 A$1,743
$1,431 A$2,035
-14.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,339 A$3,324
$3,484 A$4,953
-32.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,575 A$2,238
$2,240 A$3,185
-29.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,008 A$8,539
$9,322 A$13.3K
-35.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,683 A$8,078
$7,003 A$9,954
-18.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Goulburn
Brisbane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,079 A$5,798
$4,144 A$5,890
-1.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.92
5.81
1.89%

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

Last update for Goulburn: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Goulburn
$1.2K
Brisbane
$1.4K 16.7% $205
Groceries & Markets
Goulburn
$314
Brisbane
$362 15.1% $47
Eating Out
Goulburn
$280
Brisbane
$310 11% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Goulburn
$190
Brisbane
$245 29% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Goulburn
$176
Brisbane
$158 10.4% $18
Getting Around
Goulburn
$105
Brisbane
$35 67% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Goulburn
$78
Brisbane
$89 14.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Goulburn 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 $90 in Goulburn versus $80 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Goulburn vs $362 in Brisbane – so Goulburn wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Goulburn
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🕒 Local time
13:08 1:08 PM
12:08 12:08 PM
1 h behind Goulburn
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
23,963
2,287,896
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Goulburn Brisbane 870 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Goulburn
  • 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
Goulburn vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Goulburn or Brisbane?
Brisbane costs about 11% more than Goulburn, 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 Goulburn and in Brisbane?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,554 per month in Goulburn 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, Goulburn or Brisbane?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Goulburn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,398 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.
Are groceries more expensive in Goulburn or in Brisbane?
Groceries cost about 15% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Goulburn and in Brisbane?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Goulburn 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: Goulburn or Brisbane?
It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,369 in Goulburn to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Goulburn 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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