Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hobart and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,518 a month against $2,733 in Hobart, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Hobart
Learn more

Hobart Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index

Jump to prices

Hobart

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,733

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,733 per month in Hobart vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hobart $2,733
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $3,695 per month in Hobart vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hobart $3,695
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $4,657 per month in Hobart vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Hobart $4,657
Brisbane $4,922

Hobart costs about 9% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hobart and Brisbane sit above the global median – Hobart by 102%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 A$26.41

$17.39 A$25.02

5.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.5 A$133

$70.9 A$102

30.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 A$15.02

$11.09 A$15.95

-5.86%

Cappuccino

$3.94 A$5.67

$4.43 A$6.38

-11.06%

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

$3.42 A$4.92

$2.90 A$4.17

17.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$2.43 A$3.49

-10.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 A$11.77

$8.42 A$12.12

-2.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 A$13.37

$8.31 A$11.96

11.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 A$2.57

$1.67 A$2.40

7.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 A$3.50

$2.72 A$3.92

-10.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.71

$2.29 A$3.29

-17.90%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.75

$4.82 A$6.94

11.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.53 A$13.71

$9.06 A$13.03

5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 A$12.71

$9.18 A$13.21

-3.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 A$25.57

$14.21 A$20.45

25.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.58

$4.31 A$6.20

-26.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.80

$3.04 A$4.38

9.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.26

$3.00 A$4.32

-1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 A$6.71

$4.75 A$6.84

-1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.73

$2.72 A$3.92

-4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.34 A$3.37

-8.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 A$3.82

$2.42 A$3.48

9.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.44

$1.19 A$1.71

42.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.85 A$53.0

$38.67 A$55.7

-4.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 A$21.19

$12.66 A$18.21

16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.98 A$7.16

$5.40 A$7.77

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.72

$5.13 A$7.38

4.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.39

$0.37 A$0.53

724.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.9 A$141

$20.72 A$29.81

372.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 A$6.67

$2.92 A$4.20

58.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 A$2.99

$1.86 A$2.68

11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.36 A$59.5

$41.05 A$59.1

0.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.40 A$2.01

-2.86%

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

$28.4K A$40.8K

$29.7K A$42.8K

-4.67%

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

$33.8K A$48.6K

$26.0K A$37.4K

30.14%

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

$223 A$321

$159 A$229

40.06%

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

$28.52 A$41.04

$26.52 A$38.16

7.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 A$86.1

$60.6 A$87.2

-1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.82 A$53.0

$60.9 A$87.6

-39.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.00 A$18.70

$22.22 A$31.97

-41.49%

Cinema Ticket

$16.63 A$23.93

$14.14 A$20.34

17.61%

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

$1,976 A$2,843

$1,952 A$2,808

1.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$12.7K A$18.3K

62.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$110

$83.3 A$120

-8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 A$78.1

$43.69 A$62.9

24.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$113 A$163

-8.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$181

$111 A$160

13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 A$2,642

$1,939 A$2,790

-5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 A$1,988

$1,322 A$1,902

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,103

$3,408 A$4,904

-36.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 A$2,326

$2,242 A$3,226

-27.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,379 A$13.5K

$8,271 A$11.9K

13.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,772 A$9,744

$5,920 A$8,518

14.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,024 A$5,790

$4,183 A$6,020

-3.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

5.81

6.71%

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

Last update for Hobart: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hobart

$1.4K 50.5%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 4.3% $60

Groceries & Markets

Hobart

$376 13.8%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 3.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hobart

$311 11.4%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 20.9% $65

Eating Out

Hobart

$307 11.2%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 0.5% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

Hobart

$162 5.9%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 2.5% $4

Getting Around

Hobart

$125 4.6%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 72.5% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Hobart

$70 2.6%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 27.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,836 in Hobart 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 4% 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 $92.0 in Hobart versus $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $376 vs $363 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Hobart

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

09:25 9:25 AM

1 h behind Hobart

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

197,451

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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hobart Brisbane 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hobart
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

Hobart vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hobart costs about 9% more than Brisbane, 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 $4,100 per month in Hobart 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.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Hobart, 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 $92.0 in Hobart and $71.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,733 in Hobart 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, Hobart makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.