Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroochydore and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroochydore: $2,355 a month against $2,520 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,355

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,355 per month in Maroochydore vs $2,520 in Brisbane, rent included.

Maroochydore $2,355
Brisbane $2,520

A couple spends around $3,592 per month in Maroochydore vs $3,730 in Brisbane, rent included.

Maroochydore $3,592
Brisbane $3,730

A family of three spends $4,828 per month in Maroochydore vs $4,940 in Brisbane, rent included.

Maroochydore $4,828
Brisbane $4,940

Maroochydore is about 7% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Maroochydore and Brisbane sit above the global median – Maroochydore by 74%, Brisbane by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 A$20.23

$17.58 A$25.29

-20.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 A$138

$69.8 A$101

37.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 A$13.01

$11.18 A$16.09

-19.14%

Cappuccino

$3.77 A$5.42

$4.26 A$6.13

-11.50%

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

$2.58 A$3.72

$2.88 A$4.15

-10.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.50 A$3.60

-14.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 A$5.91

$8.55 A$12.30

-52.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 A$10.72

$8.10 A$11.66

-8.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.62 A$2.33

-4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 A$3.75

$2.66 A$3.83

-1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.42

$2.20 A$3.17

8.18%

Eggs

$4.76 A$6.85

$4.93 A$7.10

-3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 A$12.52

$9.03 A$12.99

-3.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.20 A$13.24

$9.04 A$13.01

1.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 A$21.41

$13.86 A$19.94

7.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.60

$4.11 A$5.92

-5.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.48

$3.00 A$4.32

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.71

$2.91 A$4.18

-11.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.37

$4.87 A$7.01

-23.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 A$3.74

$2.74 A$3.95

-5.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.03

$2.44 A$3.51

-13.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 A$3.65

$2.40 A$3.46

5.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.22 A$1.76

21.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.93 A$34.44

$38.84 A$55.9

-38.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 A$15.17

$12.35 A$17.78

-14.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.98 A$8.60

$5.12 A$7.37

16.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 A$8.32

$4.90 A$7.04

17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 A$0.96

$0.36 A$0.52

86.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.2 A$104

$20.68 A$29.76

249.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 A$2.89

$3.05 A$4.39

-34.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.77 A$2.55

-16.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.38 A$52.4

$41.12 A$59.2

-11.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.97

$1.45 A$2.08

-5.52%

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

$26.8K A$38.5K

$26.7K A$38.4K

0.16%

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

$23.3K A$33.5K

$27.8K A$39.9K

-16.22%

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

$217 A$312

$159 A$228

36.46%

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

$30.09 A$43.29

$25.86 A$37.21

16.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 A$78.2

$60.3 A$86.8

-9.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 A$82.1

$61.9 A$89.1

-7.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.41

$22.88 A$32.93

-22.81%

Cinema Ticket

$13.18 A$18.96

$17.41 A$25.06

-24.30%

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

$2,157 A$3,105

$1,928 A$2,774

11.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.9K

$12.6K A$18.1K

-6.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 A$110

$84.4 A$121

-9.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 A$77.3

$44.85 A$64.5

19.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$151

$110 A$159

-4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$174

$109 A$157

10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 A$1,675

$1,927 A$2,773

-39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 A$1,627

$1,325 A$1,906

-14.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,054 A$2,956

$3,276 A$4,714

-37.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 A$2,912

$2,266 A$3,261

-10.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,041 A$8,693

$8,315 A$12.0K

-27.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,962 A$8,579

$5,955 A$8,569

0.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,836 A$4,080

$4,100 A$5,900

-30.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

5.81

-2.07%

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

Last update for Maroochydore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maroochydore

$1.1K 48%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6% 17.2% $194

Groceries & Markets

Maroochydore

$356 15.1%

Brisbane

$357 14.2% 0.3% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroochydore

$301 12.8%

Brisbane

$245 9.7% 18.6% $56

Eating Out

Maroochydore

$239 10.2%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 27.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Maroochydore

$160 6.8%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 2.1% $3.3

Getting Around

Maroochydore

$84 3.6%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 59.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Maroochydore

$83 3.5%

Brisbane

$97 3.8% 16% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,164 in Maroochydore versus $1,927 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 45% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Maroochydore versus $70.0 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $356 in Maroochydore vs $357 in Brisbane – so Maroochydore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

Same time as Maroochydore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

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

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Maroochydore Brisbane 91 km

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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

Maroochydore vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 7% more than Maroochydore, 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 $3,533 per month in Maroochydore and $3,781 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 0% more in Brisbane, 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 $96.0 in Maroochydore and $70.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Maroochydore, where all-in costs run around $2,355, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Maroochydore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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