Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Margaret River and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Margaret River and in Brisbane: $2,642 and $2,644 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,642

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,642 per month in Margaret River vs $2,644 in Brisbane, rent included.

Margaret River $2,642
Brisbane $2,644

A couple spends around $3,774 per month in Margaret River vs $3,821 in Brisbane, rent included.

Margaret River $3,774
Brisbane $3,821

A family of three spends $4,907 per month in Margaret River vs $4,999 in Brisbane, rent included.

Margaret River $4,907
Brisbane $4,999

Margaret River and Brisbane have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Margaret River and Brisbane sit above the global median – Margaret River by 95%, Brisbane by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 A$29.85

$17.81 A$25.42

17.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 A$120

$85.4 A$122

-1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 A$15.57

$11.28 A$16.09

-3.28%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.44

$4.45 A$6.35

1.35%

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

$2.92 A$4.16

$2.80 A$4.00

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.45 A$3.49

-9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 A$11.81

$8.60 A$12.28

-3.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

$1.76 A$2.51

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 A$4.42

$2.57 A$3.66

20.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.95

$2.18 A$3.12

-5.50%

Eggs

$5.17 A$7.38

$4.95 A$7.06

4.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 A$13.33

$9.58 A$13.67

-2.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 A$13.28

$9.01 A$12.86

3.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 A$20.15

$14.00 A$19.98

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 A$6.67

$4.21 A$6.01

10.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.49

$3.18 A$4.54

-0.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$2.79 A$3.99

22.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.83

$4.83 A$6.89

-1.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.04

$2.80 A$4.00

1.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.72

$2.36 A$3.36

-19.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 A$3.14

$2.36 A$3.37

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 A$2.01

$1.19 A$1.70

18.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.03 A$60.0

$39.08 A$55.8

7.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.83 A$18.32

$12.84 A$18.32

-0.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.36 A$6.22

$5.27 A$7.53

-17.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 A$5.04

$4.91 A$7.01

-28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.88

$0.36 A$0.52

655.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 A$121

$21.39 A$30.52

296.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.05

$2.61 A$3.72

35.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$2.01

$1.88 A$2.68

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.36 A$57.6

$41.67 A$59.5

-3.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.04

$1.48 A$2.11

-3.38%

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

$30.6K A$43.7K

$29.0K A$41.4K

5.57%

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

$28.1K A$40.1K

$25.9K A$37.0K

8.49%

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

$202 A$288

$160 A$228

26.22%

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

$32.62 A$46.56

$26.65 A$38.04

22.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$91.7

$61.2 A$87.4

4.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$81.2

$61.1 A$87.2

-6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.68 A$25.23

$22.66 A$32.34

-21.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 A$24.94

$14.15 A$20.19

23.46%

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

$2,300 A$3,282

$1,982 A$2,829

16.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K A$33.4K

$26.8K A$38.3K

-12.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 A$112

$85.1 A$121

-7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 A$90.1

$46.37 A$66.2

36.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$177

$111 A$159

11.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 A$234

$110 A$156

49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 A$1,980

$1,957 A$2,793

-29.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 A$1,788

$1,441 A$2,057

-13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 A$3,253

$3,481 A$4,968

-34.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 A$2,566

$2,234 A$3,188

-19.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,747 A$8,203

$9,571 A$13.7K

-39.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 A$7,021

$6,938 A$9,903

-29.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,984 A$4,259

$4,134 A$5,901

-27.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.84

2.05%

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

Last update for Margaret River: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Margaret River

$1.3K 47.4%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 15.1% $189

Groceries & Markets

Margaret River

$367 13.9%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 1.3% $4.9

Eating Out

Margaret River

$333 12.6%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 6.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Margaret River

$299 11.3%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 17% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Margaret River

$193 7.3%

Brisbane

$158 6% 18% $35

Getting Around

Margaret River

$106 4%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Margaret River

$92 3.5%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 2.7% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,387 in Margaret River versus $1,957 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 39% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Margaret River versus $85 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $367 in Margaret River vs $362 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

2 h ahead of Margaret River

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Margaret River Brisbane 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Margaret River
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

Margaret River vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,963 per month in Margaret River and $3,965 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margaret River, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,387 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Margaret River and $1,982 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,642 in Margaret River and $2,644 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 $2,642 in Margaret River to $2,644 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.

If budget matters most, go with Margaret River. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.