Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle, Australia and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Newcastle and in Brisbane: $2,577 and $2,518 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,577 per month in Newcastle vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Newcastle $2,577
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $3,805 per month in Newcastle vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Newcastle $3,805
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $5,033 per month in Newcastle vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Newcastle $5,033
Brisbane $4,922

Newcastle costs about 2% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Newcastle and Brisbane sit above the global median – Newcastle by 90%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.75 A$29.49

$17.39 A$24.70

19.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 A$147

$70.9 A$101

46.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$14.95

$11.09 A$15.75

-5.14%

Cappuccino

$3.82 A$5.42

$4.43 A$6.30

-13.77%

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

$3.29 A$4.68

$2.90 A$4.12

13.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.49

$2.43 A$3.45

-27.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.85 A$12.57

$8.42 A$11.97

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 A$9.65

$8.31 A$11.81

-18.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$2.01

$1.67 A$2.37

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.84

$2.72 A$3.87

-0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.78

$2.29 A$3.25

-14.85%

Eggs

$4.67 A$6.63

$4.82 A$6.85

-3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 A$14.45

$9.06 A$12.87

12.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.59

$9.18 A$13.05

-3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 A$22.64

$14.21 A$20.19

12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.06

$4.31 A$6.12

-17.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.20

$3.04 A$4.32

-2.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.12

$3.00 A$4.27

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 A$6.24

$4.75 A$6.75

-7.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.11

$2.72 A$3.87

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.34 A$3.32

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 A$3.56

$2.42 A$3.44

3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$1.99

$1.19 A$1.69

17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.88 A$45.29

$38.67 A$55.0

-17.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 A$15.13

$12.66 A$17.98

-15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.34 A$6.17

$5.40 A$7.67

-19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 A$4.68

$5.13 A$7.28

-35.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 A$3.90

$0.37 A$0.52

640.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$214

$20.72 A$29.44

625.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 A$3.52

$2.92 A$4.15

-15.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.86 A$2.64

-15.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.98 A$58.2

$41.05 A$58.3

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$1.40 A$1.99

-15.00%

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

$29.7K A$42.3K

-0.03%

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

$25.1K A$35.6K

$26.0K A$36.9K

-3.43%

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

$218 A$310

$159 A$226

37.03%

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

$26.13 A$37.13

$26.52 A$37.68

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 A$80.4

$60.6 A$86.1

-6.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.94 A$63.9

$60.9 A$86.5

-26.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.86 A$25.38

$22.22 A$31.57

-19.62%

Cinema Ticket

$14.09 A$20.02

$14.14 A$20.08

-0.35%

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

$2,158 A$3,067

$1,952 A$2,773

10.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K A$19.4K

$12.7K A$18.1K

7.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$83.3 A$118

-3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.87 A$66.6

$43.69 A$62.1

7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$170

$113 A$161

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 A$167

$111 A$158

6.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 A$2,203

$1,939 A$2,755

-20.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 A$1,700

$1,322 A$1,878

-9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 A$3,503

$3,408 A$4,842

-27.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 A$2,649

$2,242 A$3,186

-16.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K A$19.2K

$8,271 A$11.8K

63.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,833 A$8,288

$5,920 A$8,411

-1.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 A$4,404

$4,183 A$5,944

-25.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.81

12.74%

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

Last update for Newcastle: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle

$1.2K 46.4%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 10.5% $125

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle

$349 13.6%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 4% $14

Eating Out

Newcastle

$321 12.5%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 4.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle

$301 11.7%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 18.1% $55

Getting Around

Newcastle

$172 6.7%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 79.9% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle

$164 6.4%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 3.7% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle

$73 2.8%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 21.9% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,550 in Newcastle versus $1,939 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 35% higher in Brisbane, 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 $104 in Newcastle versus $71 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Newcastle vs $363 in Brisbane – so Newcastle wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

09:08 9:08 AM

1 h behind Newcastle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

508,437

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Newcastle Brisbane 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Newcastle
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

Newcastle vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newcastle costs about 2% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,865 per month in Newcastle and $3,777 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Newcastle, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,550 there versus $1,939 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Newcastle – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Newcastle and $71 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 $2,577 in Newcastle and $2,518 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 $2,518 in Brisbane to $2,577 in Newcastle. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.