Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Isa and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Mount Isa and in Brisbane: $2,629 and $2,630 a month, rent and utilities included.

122

Cost of Living Index in Mount Isa
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Mount Isa Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Mount Isa

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,629

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,629 per month in Mount Isa vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Mount Isa $2,629
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,759 per month in Mount Isa vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Mount Isa $3,759
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,890 per month in Mount Isa vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Mount Isa $4,890
Brisbane $4,972

Mount Isa and Brisbane have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Mount Isa and Brisbane sit above the global median – Mount Isa by 93%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 A$28.33

$17.61 A$25.02

13.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 A$127

$80.0 A$114

11.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.61

$11.43 A$16.24

-10.06%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.62

$4.51 A$6.41

-12.20%

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

$2.91 A$4.14

$2.95 A$4.20

-1.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.20

$2.39 A$3.40

-5.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 A$11.84

$8.61 A$12.23

-3.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.18

$8.36 A$11.88

2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.31

$1.62 A$2.30

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 A$3.91

$2.65 A$3.77

4.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

Eggs

$5.02 A$7.13

$4.94 A$7.02

1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.31

$9.08 A$12.90

-4.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.60 A$15.06

$9.12 A$12.96

16.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 A$19.93

$14.34 A$20.37

-2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 A$5.26

$4.14 A$5.88

-10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.39

$3.07 A$4.36

0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.73

$3.05 A$4.33

9.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 A$7.30

$4.89 A$6.94

5.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.86

$2.81 A$3.99

-3.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.48 A$3.52

0.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.41 A$3.42

-3.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.17

$1.19 A$1.69

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.25 A$61.5

$38.54 A$54.8

12.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 A$18.55

$12.65 A$17.97

3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.80 A$6.82

$5.22 A$7.41

-8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 A$7.24

$4.87 A$6.92

4.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 A$4.39

$0.34 A$0.48

808.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.6 A$134

$20.97 A$29.80

350.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 A$4.49

$3.05 A$4.33

3.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.32

$1.89 A$2.69

-13.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.14 A$62.7

$40.76 A$57.9

8.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.95

$1.45 A$2.06

-5.52%

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

$32.0K A$45.5K

$29.7K A$42.2K

7.85%

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

$23.0K A$32.7K

$25.6K A$36.4K

-10.05%

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

$208 A$296

$158 A$224

31.86%

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

$27.46 A$39.01

$26.05 A$37.02

5.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$79.7

$61.1 A$86.9

-8.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 A$84.4

$61.2 A$86.9

-2.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 A$23.84

$22.36 A$31.77

-24.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 A$17.01

$13.95 A$19.82

-14.19%

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

$1,856 A$2,638

$2,044 A$2,905

-9.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K A$32.3K

$12.9K A$18.3K

76.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 A$119

$82.4 A$117

2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.6 A$84.7

$43.63 A$62.0

36.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$173

$113 A$161

7.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$151

$111 A$158

-4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 A$1,852

$1,944 A$2,762

-32.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 A$1,818

$1,431 A$2,034

-10.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 A$3,616

$3,484 A$4,951

-26.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 A$2,622

$2,240 A$3,184

-17.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,578 A$7,926

$9,322 A$13.2K

-40.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,767 A$6,773

$7,003 A$9,951

-31.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,462 A$6,340

$4,144 A$5,888

7.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.81

1.55%

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

Last update for Mount Isa: 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

Mount Isa

$1.3K 48.7%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 11.9% $152

Groceries & Markets

Mount Isa

$371 14.1%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 2.6% $9.5

Eating Out

Mount Isa

$317 12.1%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 2.1% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Isa

$292 11.1%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 16% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Isa

$167 6.4%

Brisbane

$158 6% 5.8% $9.8

Getting Around

Mount Isa

$118 4.5%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 70.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Isa

$83 3.2%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 6.8% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,304 in Mount Isa 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 8% higher in Mount Isa. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Mount Isa versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $371 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mount Isa

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

Same time as Mount Isa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,936

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Mount Isa Brisbane 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mount Isa
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

Mount Isa vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,943 per month in Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,304 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $1,856 per month in Mount Isa and $2,044 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,629 in Mount Isa and $2,630 in Brisbane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Mount Isa – 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.