Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hervey Bay and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Hervey Bay: $2,395 a month against $2,520 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Hervey Bay
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Hervey Bay Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,395

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,395 per month in Hervey Bay vs $2,520 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hervey Bay $2,395
Brisbane $2,520

A couple spends around $3,441 per month in Hervey Bay vs $3,730 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hervey Bay $3,441
Brisbane $3,730

A family of three spends $4,487 per month in Hervey Bay vs $4,940 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hervey Bay $4,487
Brisbane $4,940

Hervey Bay is about 5% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hervey Bay and Brisbane sit above the global median – Hervey Bay by 77%, Brisbane by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$25.52

$17.58 A$25.29

0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 A$101

$69.8 A$101

0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 A$15.42

$11.18 A$16.09

-4.20%

Cappuccino

$3.72 A$5.35

$4.26 A$6.13

-12.68%

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

$2.89 A$4.17

$2.88 A$4.15

0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.29

$2.50 A$3.60

-8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 A$8.38

$8.55 A$12.30

-31.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.27 A$11.90

$8.10 A$11.66

2.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.32

$1.62 A$2.33

-0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.76

$2.66 A$3.83

-1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.21

$2.20 A$3.17

1.36%

Eggs

$4.87 A$7.00

$4.93 A$7.10

-1.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 A$13.31

$9.03 A$12.99

2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 A$20.31

$13.86 A$19.94

1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.97

$4.11 A$5.92

0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.45

$3.00 A$4.32

3.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.91 A$4.18

-1.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 A$7.11

$4.87 A$7.01

1.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.11

$2.74 A$3.95

4.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.38

$2.44 A$3.51

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.29

$2.40 A$3.46

-4.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 A$1.78

$1.22 A$1.76

0.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.81 A$54.4

$38.84 A$55.9

-2.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.31 A$17.72

$12.35 A$17.78

-0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.44

$5.12 A$7.37

0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$4.90 A$7.04

4.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.24

$0.36 A$0.52

719.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 A$113

$20.68 A$29.76

281.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 A$4.35

$3.05 A$4.39

-0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 A$2.56

$1.77 A$2.55

0.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.31 A$59.4

$41.12 A$59.2

0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.09

$1.45 A$2.08

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

$26.9K A$38.7K

$26.7K A$38.4K

0.74%

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

$28.4K A$40.9K

$27.8K A$39.9K

2.45%

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

$159 A$229

$159 A$228

0.11%

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

$25.97 A$37.37

$25.86 A$37.21

0.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$85.8

$60.3 A$86.8

-1.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 A$83.6

$61.9 A$89.1

-6.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.78 A$28.46

$22.88 A$32.93

-13.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 A$25.41

$17.41 A$25.06

1.44%

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

$1,949 A$2,804

$1,928 A$2,774

1.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.7K

$12.6K A$18.1K

-2.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 A$89.5

$84.4 A$121

-26.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.70 A$64.3

$44.85 A$64.5

-0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 A$89.1

$110 A$159

-43.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.2 A$89.5

$109 A$157

-43.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$2,001

$1,927 A$2,773

-27.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,736

$1,325 A$1,906

-8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 A$3,104

$3,276 A$4,714

-34.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 A$2,627

$2,266 A$3,261

-19.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,692 A$8,191

$8,315 A$12.0K

-31.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,053 A$7,271

$5,955 A$8,569

-15.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,791 A$4,016

$4,100 A$5,900

-31.93%

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 Hervey Bay: October 10, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hervey Bay

$1.2K 50.4%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6% 9.8% $119

Groceries & Markets

Hervey Bay

$359 15%

Brisbane

$357 14.2% 0.6% $2.1

Eating Out

Hervey Bay

$285 11.9%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 7.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hervey Bay

$245 10.2%

Brisbane

$245 9.7% 0.2% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Hervey Bay

$104 4.3%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 50.9% $53

Getting Around

Hervey Bay

$103 4.3%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 66.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Hervey Bay

$93 3.9%

Brisbane

$97 3.8% 3.6% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Hervey Bay 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 47% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Hervey Bay versus $70.0 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $359 in Hervey Bay vs $357 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

Same time as Hervey Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,722

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

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Hervey Bay Brisbane 240 km

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Hervey Bay
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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

Hervey Bay vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 5% more than Hervey Bay, 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 $3,592 per month in Hervey Bay 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 Hervey Bay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Brisbane – 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 $70.0 in Hervey Bay and $70.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hervey Bay, where all-in costs run around $2,395, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Hervey Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hervey Bay – 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 Hervey Bay. 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.