Cost of Living Comparison Between Hervey Bay and Caraguatatuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Hervey Bay and Caraguatatuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,092 in Hervey Bay versus $737 in Caraguatatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,051 in Hervey Bay versus $1,204 in Caraguatatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,009 in Hervey Bay versus $1,672 in Caraguatatuba.

Living in Hervey Bay is roughly 184% more expensive than Caraguatatuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hervey Bay is 56% above, Caraguatatuba is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 A$22.72

$6.90 R$34.55

136.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.2 A$101

$26.11 R$131

176.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 A$13.34

$6.62 R$33.12

44.56%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$1.75 R$8.75

103.43%

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

$2.65 A$3.69

$1.06 R$5.29

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 A$2.92

$0.76 R$3.81

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 A$7.73

$1.84 R$9.19

201.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 A$10.58

$2.78 R$13.89

173.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.17

$0.88 R$4.41

77.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 A$1.46

$1.47 R$7.34

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 A$2.52

$1.19 R$5.95

51.26%

Eggs

$3.10 A$4.32

$1.69 R$8.45

83.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.62

$5.47 R$27.39

52.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.77 A$8.04

$2.98 R$14.89

93.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 A$18.74

$7.08 R$35.43

89.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$1.84 R$9.21

75.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.07

$1.66 R$8.33

32.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.69

$1.36 R$6.81

94.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 A$5.88

$1.72 R$8.61

145.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.74

$1.15 R$5.77

71.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.66

$0.69 R$3.44

176.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.98

$0.66 R$3.31

224.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.74

$0.67 R$3.37

86.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.00 A$45.99

$1.78 R$8.92

1753.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 A$18.18

$7.09 R$35.49

84.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.23

$1.37 R$6.88

226.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$5.88

$2.08 R$10.41

102.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.72

$0.93 R$4.64

187.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 A$91.4

$20.52 R$103

219.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 A$3.14

$1.06 R$5.31

112.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.13

$0.62 R$3.08

146.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.16 A$47.61

$3.25 R$16.29

951.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.06 R$5.33

12.26%

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

$28.9K A$40.2K

$13.9K R$69.6K

107.63%

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

$22.7K A$31.7K

$27.1K R$135.7K

-16.16%

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

$144 A$201

$51.7 R$259

178.82%

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

$25.76 A$35.89

$11.52 R$57.6

123.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 A$75.0

$20.75 R$104

159.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.09 A$68.4

$19.48 R$97.5

152.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 A$22.01

$14.15 R$70.8

11.66%

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 A$18.39

$7.33 R$36.70

79.95%

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

$1,602 A$2,232

$198 R$991

709.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,673 A$12.1K

$3,829 R$19.2K

126.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 A$82.3

$51.5 R$258

14.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.84 A$61.1

$56.2 R$281

-22.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 A$82.7

$71.4 R$357

-16.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 A$80.1

$52.6 R$263

9.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 A$1,779

$371 R$1,857

244.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 A$1,477

$207 R$1,037

411.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,002 A$2,789

$770 R$3,853

160.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 A$2,301

$476 R$2,383

246.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,575 R$7,880

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,153 R$5,770

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,932 A$5,479

$330 R$1,654

1090.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

8.15

-23.44%

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

Last update for Hervey Bay: May 31, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,277 in Hervey Bay and $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hervey Bay pays 1090% 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: $72.0 in Hervey Bay vs $26.00 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $162 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 184% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hervey Bay pays 1090% more on average, 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: $1,277 in Hervey Bay versus $371 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% 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 $26.00 versus $72.0 in Hervey Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $737 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,092 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.