Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Northam and in Brisbane: $2,498 and $2,518 a month, rent and utilities included.

121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,498 per month in Northam vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Northam $2,498
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $3,618 per month in Northam vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Northam $3,618
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $4,737 per month in Northam vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Northam $4,737
Brisbane $4,922

Northam is about 1% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Northam and Brisbane sit above the global median – Northam by 84%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 A$28.37

$17.39 A$24.70

14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 A$121

$70.9 A$101

20.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 A$15.00

$11.09 A$15.75

-4.87%

Cappuccino

$4.48 A$6.36

$4.43 A$6.30

1.13%

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

$2.84 A$4.03

$2.90 A$4.12

-2.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.25

$2.43 A$3.45

-5.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 A$11.79

$8.42 A$11.97

-1.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.51

$8.31 A$11.81

-2.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

$1.67 A$2.37

4.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.66

$2.72 A$3.87

-5.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.82

$2.29 A$3.25

-13.54%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.36

$4.82 A$6.85

-7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 A$9.05

$9.06 A$12.87

-29.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$9.18 A$13.05

-0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 A$20.01

$14.21 A$20.19

-0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$4.31 A$6.12

-36.66%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.62

$3.04 A$4.32

6.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.89

$3.00 A$4.27

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$4.75 A$6.75

3.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.11

$2.72 A$3.87

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.81

$2.34 A$3.32

-15.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$2.42 A$3.44

-7.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 A$1.04

$1.19 A$1.69

-38.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$58.8

$38.67 A$55.0

6.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.49 A$4.96

$12.66 A$17.98

-72.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 A$6.25

$5.40 A$7.67

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 A$4.99

$5.13 A$7.28

-31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.15

$0.37 A$0.52

689.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 A$114

$20.72 A$29.44

288.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.02

$2.92 A$4.15

20.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.86 A$2.64

-21.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.14 A$58.5

$41.05 A$58.3

0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.40 A$1.99

-3.57%

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

$26.9K A$38.2K

$29.7K A$42.3K

-9.73%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$26.0K A$36.9K

13.46%

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

$196 A$278

$159 A$226

23.08%

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

$24.09 A$34.24

$26.52 A$37.68

-9.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$91.4

$60.6 A$86.1

6.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 A$80.2

$60.9 A$86.5

-7.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 A$25.31

$22.22 A$31.57

-19.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 A$24.59

$14.14 A$20.08

22.35%

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

$2,328 A$3,307

$1,952 A$2,773

19.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K A$33.0K

$12.7K A$18.1K

82.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$110

$83.3 A$118

-7.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 A$94.2

$43.69 A$62.1

51.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$113 A$161

8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 A$229

$111 A$158

45.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,976

$1,939 A$2,755

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 A$1,691

$1,322 A$1,878

-9.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 A$3,088

$3,408 A$4,842

-36.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 A$2,533

$2,242 A$3,186

-20.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,780 A$8,213

$8,271 A$11.8K

-30.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,889 A$6,947

$5,920 A$8,411

-17.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,183 A$5,944

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.81

1.72%

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

Last update for Northam: 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

Northam

$1.2K 47.6%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 11.1% $132

Eating Out

Northam

$323 12.9%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 5.5% $18

Groceries & Markets

Northam

$314 12.6%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 15.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Northam

$284 11.4%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 13.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Northam

$192 7.7%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 17.8% $34

Getting Around

Northam

$103 4.1%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 66.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Northam

$91 3.7%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 2.2% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,391 in Northam 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Northam versus $71 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $314 in Northam vs $363 in Brisbane – so Northam wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Northam

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

2 h ahead of Northam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

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

On the map

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Between locations

Northam Brisbane 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Northam
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

Northam vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 1% more than Northam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,747 per month in Northam 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 Northam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,391 there versus $1,939 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 16% 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 $85 in Northam 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 $2,498 in Northam 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 $2,498 in Northam to $2,518 in Brisbane. 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.