Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilton Head Island, SC and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,518 a month against $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hilton Head Island, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

143

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
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Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,991

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,991 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,991
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $2,726 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,726
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $2,461 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,461
Brisbane $4,922

Hilton Head Island, SC costs about 19% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Hilton Head Island, SC and Brisbane sit above the global median – Hilton Head Island, SC by 121%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.26 $20.26

$17.39 A$25.02

16.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 $60.9

$70.9 A$102

-14.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 $11.56

$11.09 A$15.95

4.24%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$4.43 A$6.38

11.74%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$2.90 A$4.17

1.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.43 A$3.49

-18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$8.42 A$12.12

-42.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$8.31 A$11.96

-26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.67 A$2.40

-54.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.72 A$3.92

20.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.29 A$3.29

59.83%

Eggs

$2.79 $2.79

$4.82 A$6.94

-42.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 $9.07

$9.06 A$13.03

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$9.18 A$13.21

4.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$14.21 A$20.45

-6.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$4.31 A$6.20

5.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$3.04 A$4.38

-53.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.00 A$4.32

30.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.75 A$6.84

-4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.72 A$3.92

10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.34 A$3.37

34.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.42 A$3.48

5.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.19 A$1.71

99.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.30 $9.30

$38.67 A$55.7

-75.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.66 A$18.21

17.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$5.40 A$7.77

-60.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 $3.23

$5.13 A$7.38

-37.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.53

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.72 A$29.81

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.92 A$4.20

-48.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.86 A$2.68

-37.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.92 $13.92

$41.05 A$59.1

-66.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.40 A$2.01

-32.86%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$29.7K A$42.8K

6.65%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.0K A$37.4K

0.55%

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

$218 $218

$159 A$229

36.71%

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

$55.2 $55.2

$26.52 A$38.16

108.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$60.6 A$87.2

12.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.81 $19.81

$60.9 A$87.6

-67.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.22 A$31.97

Cinema Ticket

$14.30 $14.30

$14.14 A$20.34

1.13%

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

$1,287 $1,287

$1,952 A$2,808

-34.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K $12.2K

$12.7K A$18.3K

-4.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.61 $34.61

$83.3 A$120

-58.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.73 $34.73

$43.69 A$62.9

-20.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$113 A$163

-28.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 $69.6

$111 A$160

-37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 $2,159

$1,939 A$2,790

11.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 $1,831

$1,322 A$1,902

38.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 $2,304

$3,408 A$4,904

-32.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 A$3,226

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,567 $3,567

$8,271 A$11.9K

-56.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,528 $3,528

$5,920 A$8,518

-40.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,404 $3,404

$4,183 A$6,020

-18.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

5.81

15.15%

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

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 61.2%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 27.8% $509

Groceries & Markets

Hilton Head Island, SC

$352 11.8%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 3.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilton Head Island, SC

$341 11.4%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 27.8% $95

Eating Out

Hilton Head Island, SC

$312 10.4%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 2.1% $6.7

Clothing & Footwear

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.3%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 59.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Hilton Head Island, SC

$48 1.6%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 84.1% $41

Getting Around

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.3 * 0.2%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 371% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,159 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $1,939 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 23% higher in Brisbane, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $363 – making Hilton Head Island, SC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

08:36 8:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

14 h ahead of Hilton Head Island, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,512

2,287,896

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hilton Head Island, SC Brisbane 14,860 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilton Head Island, SC
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

Hilton Head Island, SC vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilton Head Island, SC costs about 19% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,486 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC and $3,777 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC and $2,518 in Brisbane. That's a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $1,287 per month in Hilton Head Island, SC and $1,952 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,991 in Hilton Head Island, SC and $2,518 in Brisbane. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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