Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Grafton and in Brisbane: $2,560 and $2,630 a month, rent and utilities included.

117

Cost of Living Index in Grafton
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Grafton Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Grafton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,560

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,560 per month in Grafton vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Grafton $2,560
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,538 per month in Grafton vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Grafton $3,538
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,515 per month in Grafton vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Grafton $4,515
Brisbane $4,972

Grafton is about 3% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Grafton and Brisbane sit above the global median – Grafton by 88%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.86

$17.61 A$25.02

-0.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.1 A$104

$80.0 A$114

-8.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 A$16.21

$11.43 A$16.24

-0.17%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.94

$4.51 A$6.41

-23.06%

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

$2.74 A$3.89

$2.95 A$4.20

-7.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.39 A$3.40

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.58 A$12.19

$8.61 A$12.23

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.50 A$12.08

$8.36 A$11.88

1.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.62

$1.62 A$2.30

-29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.80

$2.65 A$3.77

0.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.28

$2.32 A$3.30

-0.43%

Eggs

$3.57 A$5.07

$4.94 A$7.02

-27.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.85

$9.08 A$12.90

-0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 A$11.17

$9.12 A$12.96

-13.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.90

$14.34 A$20.37

-2.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$4.14 A$5.88

-34.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 A$1.96

$3.07 A$4.36

-55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.28

$3.05 A$4.33

-1.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.86

$4.89 A$6.94

-1.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.00

$2.81 A$3.99

-24.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.26

$2.48 A$3.52

-7.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 A$2.44

$2.41 A$3.42

-28.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 A$1.55

$1.19 A$1.69

-8.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.82 A$42.37

$38.54 A$54.8

-22.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.75

$5.22 A$7.41

4.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 A$6.94

$4.87 A$6.92

0.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 A$4.22

$0.34 A$0.48

773.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 A$118

$20.97 A$29.80

295.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 A$4.31

$3.05 A$4.33

-0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 A$2.63

$1.89 A$2.69

-2.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.17 A$58.5

$40.76 A$57.9

1.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.81

$1.45 A$2.06

-11.72%

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

$29.7K A$42.2K

-0.09%

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

$24.4K A$34.7K

$25.6K A$36.4K

-4.68%

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

$163 A$232

$158 A$224

3.60%

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

$26.20 A$37.23

$26.05 A$37.02

0.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.97 A$71.0

$61.1 A$86.9

-18.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$78.8

$61.2 A$86.9

-9.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.42 A$29.01

$22.36 A$31.77

-8.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 A$17.10

$13.95 A$19.82

-13.69%

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

$697 A$990

$2,044 A$2,905

-65.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,204 A$4,552

$12.9K A$18.3K

-75.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$82.4 A$117

3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.18 A$62.8

$43.63 A$62.0

1.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$162

$113 A$161

0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$111 A$158

-1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 A$1,960

$1,944 A$2,762

-29.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 A$1,929

$1,431 A$2,034

-5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,572 A$3,655

$3,484 A$4,951

-26.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 A$2,593

$2,240 A$3,184

-18.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,229 A$8,850

$9,322 A$13.2K

-33.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,510 A$6,408

$7,003 A$9,951

-35.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,467 A$3,506

$4,144 A$5,888

-40.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

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

Last update for Grafton: 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

Grafton

$1.4K 53%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 5.4% $74

Groceries & Markets

Grafton

$321 12.6%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 12.6% $40

Eating Out

Grafton

$296 11.6%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 4.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grafton

$240 9.4%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 2.2% $5.3

Clothing & Footwear

Grafton

$159 6.2%

Brisbane

$158 6% 0.6% $1

Getting Around

Grafton

$107 4.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Grafton

$79 3.1%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 12% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,379 in Grafton 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 68% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Grafton versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $362 – making Grafton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Grafton

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

1 h behind Grafton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,255

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Grafton Brisbane 250 km

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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

Grafton vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Grafton, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Grafton 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 Grafton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,379 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Brisbane, 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 $73 in Grafton and $80 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,560 in Grafton and $2,630 in Brisbane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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