Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Macquarie and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Macquarie: $2,218 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
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Lake Macquarie Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,218

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,218 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $2,218
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,563 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $3,563
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,907 per month in Lake Macquarie vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Lake Macquarie $4,907
Brisbane $4,972

Lake Macquarie is about 16% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lake Macquarie and Brisbane sit above the global median – Lake Macquarie by 63%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.44 A$24.90

$17.61 A$25.13

-0.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$121

$80.0 A$114

5.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 A$14.99

$11.43 A$16.31

-8.14%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.03

$4.51 A$6.44

-21.95%

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

$3.15 A$4.49

$2.95 A$4.22

6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 A$2.91

$2.39 A$3.42

-14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 A$10.28

$8.61 A$12.29

-16.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 A$9.86

$8.36 A$11.93

-17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.62 A$2.31

-29.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 A$2.14

$2.65 A$3.78

-43.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 A$2.27

$2.32 A$3.32

-31.47%

Eggs

$3.26 A$4.66

$4.94 A$7.05

-34.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 A$11.23

$9.08 A$12.96

-13.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 A$10.67

$9.12 A$13.02

-18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 A$17.90

$14.34 A$20.46

-12.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.20

$4.14 A$5.91

-28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.65

$3.07 A$4.38

-16.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.66

$3.05 A$4.35

-16.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 A$5.36

$4.89 A$6.97

-23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.40

$2.81 A$4.01

-15.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.94

$2.48 A$3.54

-16.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 A$2.43

$2.41 A$3.44

-29.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.19 A$1.70

30.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.27 A$41.78

$38.54 A$55.0

-24.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 A$11.95

$12.65 A$18.05

-33.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 A$4.13

$5.22 A$7.44

-44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.26

$4.87 A$6.95

-53.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 A$3.83

$0.34 A$0.48

688.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 A$118

$20.97 A$29.93

295.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 A$2.88

$3.05 A$4.35

-33.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 A$4.54

$1.89 A$2.70

68.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 A$83.3

$40.76 A$58.2

43.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.91

$1.45 A$2.07

-7.59%

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

$28.4K A$40.5K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-4.51%

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

$24.3K A$34.7K

$25.6K A$36.5K

-5.14%

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

$236 A$337

$158 A$225

49.60%

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

$11.39 A$16.26

$26.05 A$37.19

-56.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.79 A$59.7

$61.1 A$87.3

-31.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$79.5

$61.2 A$87.3

-8.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.12 A$25.86

$22.36 A$31.91

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 A$13.65

$13.95 A$19.91

-31.40%

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

$1,489 A$2,125

$2,044 A$2,918

-27.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.6K

$12.9K A$18.4K

44.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$100

$82.4 A$118

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.06 A$52.9

$43.63 A$62.3

-15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 A$141

$113 A$162

-13.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$159

$111 A$158

0.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 A$1,970

$1,944 A$2,774

-28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 A$1,484

$1,431 A$2,043

-27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,288 A$3,266

$3,484 A$4,973

-34.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 A$3,236

$2,240 A$3,198

1.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,477 A$7,817

$9,322 A$13.3K

-41.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,415 A$7,729

$7,003 A$9,996

-22.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,072 A$7,240

$4,144 A$5,915

22.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

5.81

-25.13%

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

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Macquarie

$1K 46.9%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 37.7% $392

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Macquarie

$289 13%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 15.3% $44

Eating Out

Lake Macquarie

$284 12.8%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 9.4% $27

Groceries & Markets

Lake Macquarie

$276 12.5%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 31.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Macquarie

$143 6.4%

Brisbane

$158 6% 10.5% $15

Getting Around

Lake Macquarie

$112 5%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 68.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Macquarie

$75 3.4%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 19.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,380 in Lake Macquarie versus $1,944 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 22% higher in Lake Macquarie, 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 $85 in Lake Macquarie versus $80 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Lake Macquarie vs $362 in Brisbane – so Lake Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

10:37 10:37 AM

1 h behind Lake Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,059

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lake Macquarie Brisbane 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lake Macquarie
Brisbane

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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

Lake Macquarie vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 19% more than Lake Macquarie, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,327 per month in Lake Macquarie and $3,945 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Macquarie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,380 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Lake Macquarie and $80 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 Lake Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,218, than in Brisbane at $2,630. In Lake Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lake Macquarie – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.