Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hervey Bay and Caraguatatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $2,395 in Hervey Bay, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
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Caraguatatuba Living Index

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Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,395

/mo nomad

Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$843

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hervey Bay and in Caraguatatuba

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 Caraguatatuba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,395 in Hervey Bay versus $843 in Caraguatatuba.

Hervey Bay $2,395
Caraguatatuba $843

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,441 in Hervey Bay versus $1,363 in Caraguatatuba.

Hervey Bay $3,441
Caraguatatuba $1,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,487 in Hervey Bay versus $1,883 in Caraguatatuba.

Hervey Bay $4,487
Caraguatatuba $1,883

Living in Hervey Bay is roughly 184% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hervey Bay is 77% above, Caraguatatuba is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 A$25.52

$7.70 R$39.04

130.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 A$101

$29.38 R$149

139.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 A$15.42

$9.23 R$46.80

16.03%

Cappuccino

$3.72 A$5.35

$2.37 R$11.99

56.96%

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

$2.89 A$4.17

$1.23 R$6.25

134.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.29

$0.88 R$4.48

159.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 A$8.38

$2.36 R$11.96

146.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.27 A$11.90

$3.27 R$16.60

152.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.32

$1.00 R$5.09

61.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.62 A$3.76

$1.61 R$8.17

62.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.21

$1.40 R$7.10

59.29%

Eggs

$4.87 A$7.00

$1.96 R$9.96

148.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 A$13.31

$5.89 R$29.84

57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

$3.32 R$16.82

172.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 A$20.31

$7.98 R$40.47

76.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.97

$2.15 R$10.89

93.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.45

$1.67 R$8.46

85.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.15

$1.46 R$7.39

97.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 A$7.11

$1.42 R$7.19

247.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.11

$1.27 R$6.45

125.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.38

$0.82 R$4.13

186.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.29

$0.71 R$3.60

222.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 A$1.78

$0.79 R$3.99

55.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.81 A$54.4

$2.16 R$10.96

1650.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.31 A$17.72

$7.00 R$35.46

75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.44

$1.50 R$7.58

244.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 A$7.38

$2.59 R$13.11

98.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.24

$0.98 R$4.96

201.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 A$113

$23.55 R$119

234.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 A$4.35

$1.16 R$5.89

161.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 A$2.56

$0.73 R$3.70

143.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.31 A$59.4

$3.52 R$17.85

1073.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.09

$1.30 R$6.59

11.54%

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

$26.9K A$38.7K

$15.7K R$79.3K

71.92%

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

$28.4K A$40.9K

$29.5K R$149.6K

-3.66%

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

$159 A$229

$66.3 R$336

139.68%

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

$25.97 A$37.37

$13.05 R$66.2

99.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 A$85.8

$22.44 R$114

165.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 A$83.6

$21.64 R$110

168.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.78 A$28.46

$16.29 R$82.6

21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 A$25.41

$8.17 R$41.40

116.16%

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

$1,949 A$2,804

$223 R$1,130

774.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.7K

$4,271 R$21.7K

188.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 A$89.5

$57.8 R$293

7.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.70 A$64.3

$56.6 R$287

-21.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.9 A$89.1

$78.3 R$397

-21.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.2 A$89.5

$59.2 R$300

5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$2,001

$416 R$2,110

234.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 A$1,736

$237 R$1,201

408.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 A$3,104

$879 R$4,453

145.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 A$2,627

$522 R$2,648

249.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,692 A$8,191

$1,681 R$8,523

238.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,053 A$7,271

$1,217 R$6,170

315.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,791 A$4,016

$336 R$1,704

730.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

8.15

-28.71%

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

Last update for Hervey Bay: October 10, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hervey Bay

$1.2K 50.4%

Caraguatatuba

$237 28.1% 80.4% $969

Groceries & Markets

Hervey Bay

$359 15%

Caraguatatuba

$176 20.9% 51.1% $184

Eating Out

Hervey Bay

$285 11.9%

Caraguatatuba

$145 17.2% 49.3% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hervey Bay

$245 10.2%

Caraguatatuba

$102 12.1% 58.4% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Hervey Bay

$104 4.3%

Caraguatatuba

$113 13.5% 9.1% $9.4

Getting Around

Hervey Bay

$103 4.3%

Caraguatatuba

$32 3.8% 68.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Hervey Bay

$93 3.9%

Caraguatatuba

$38 4.5% 59.4% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Hervey Bay and $416 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hervey Bay pays 730% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Hervey Bay vs $29.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $176 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Hervey Bay

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

17:43 5:43 PM

13 h behind Hervey Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

57,722

134,873

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hervey Bay Caraguatatuba 14,230 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Hervey Bay
Caraguatatuba

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

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

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 184% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 730% higher in Hervey Bay, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,391 in Hervey Bay versus $416 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Hervey Bay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $70.0 in Hervey Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,395 in Hervey Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Hervey Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hervey Bay and Caraguatatuba are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 184% less than in Hervey Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.