Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Launceston, Australia and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Launceston: $2,039 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Launceston
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Launceston Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Launceston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,039

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,039 per month in Launceston vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Launceston $2,039
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $2,913 per month in Launceston vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Launceston $2,913
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $3,786 per month in Launceston vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Launceston $3,786
Brisbane $4,972

Launceston is about 22% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Launceston and Brisbane sit above the global median – Launceston by 50%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 A$24.78

$17.61 A$25.15

-1.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 A$106

$80.0 A$114

-7.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.23 A$11.75

$11.43 A$16.32

-28.00%

Cappuccino

$3.37 A$4.81

$4.51 A$6.45

-25.28%

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

$1.38 A$1.97

$2.95 A$4.22

-53.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.24

$2.39 A$3.42

-5.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.24

$8.61 A$12.30

-24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 A$10.19

$8.36 A$11.94

-14.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 A$2.69

$1.62 A$2.31

16.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 A$3.63

$2.65 A$3.79

-4.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 A$1.76

$2.32 A$3.32

-46.98%

Eggs

$3.70 A$5.29

$4.94 A$7.05

-25.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 A$14.31

$9.08 A$12.97

10.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 A$11.90

$9.12 A$13.03

-8.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 A$14.72

$14.34 A$20.47

-28.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.09

$4.14 A$5.91

-30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.10

$3.07 A$4.38

-6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.91

$3.05 A$4.35

-10.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 A$6.77

$4.89 A$6.98

-3.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.91

$2.81 A$4.01

-27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.98

$2.48 A$3.54

-43.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.65

$2.41 A$3.44

6.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 A$0.77

$1.19 A$1.70

-54.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$36.28 A$51.8

$38.54 A$55.0

-5.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.47 A$20.67

$12.65 A$18.06

14.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.10 A$7.28

$5.22 A$7.45

-2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 A$7.75

$4.87 A$6.95

11.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 A$5.03

$0.34 A$0.48

935.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.7 A$79.5

$20.97 A$29.95

165.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 A$6.40

$3.05 A$4.35

46.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 A$2.96

$1.89 A$2.70

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.53 A$59.3

$40.76 A$58.2

1.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.83

$1.45 A$2.07

-11.72%

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

$28.1K A$40.1K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-5.47%

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

$33.4K A$47.7K

$25.6K A$36.6K

30.51%

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

$226 A$323

$158 A$225

43.30%

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

$29.09 A$41.55

$26.05 A$37.21

11.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.8 A$76.9

$61.1 A$87.3

-11.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.45 A$70.6

$61.2 A$87.3

-19.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.36 A$31.93

Cinema Ticket

$16.96 A$24.22

$13.95 A$19.93

21.58%

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

$1,996 A$2,851

$2,044 A$2,919

-2.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K A$30.0K

$12.9K A$18.4K

62.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 A$110

$82.4 A$118

-6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$76.8

$43.63 A$62.3

23.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$113 A$162

-8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$178

$111 A$158

12.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 A$1,651

$1,944 A$2,776

-40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 A$1,159

$1,431 A$2,044

-43.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 A$2,308

$3,484 A$4,976

-53.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 A$1,588

$2,240 A$3,200

-50.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$10.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,644 A$9,489

$4,144 A$5,918

60.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

3.27%

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

Last update for Launceston: 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

Launceston

$811 39.8%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 76.4% $620

Groceries & Markets

Launceston

$324 15.9%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 11.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Launceston

$309 15.2%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 20.7% $64

Eating Out

Launceston

$265 13%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 17.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Launceston

$162 7.9%

Brisbane

$158 6% 2.7% $4.3

Getting Around

Launceston

$85 4.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 58.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Launceston

$83 4.1%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 6.8% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,156 in Launceston 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 60% higher in Launceston, 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 $74 in Launceston versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $362 – making Launceston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Launceston

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

12:33 12:33 PM

1 h behind Launceston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,943

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Launceston Brisbane 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Launceston
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

Launceston vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 29% more than Launceston, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,059 per month in Launceston 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 Launceston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,156 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Launceston and $80 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 $2,039 in Launceston and $2,630 in Brisbane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,039 in Launceston to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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