Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parramatta and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,630 a month against $3,303 in Parramatta, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Parramatta
Learn more

Parramatta Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index

Jump to prices

Parramatta

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,303

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,303 per month in Parramatta vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Parramatta $3,303
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $4,603 per month in Parramatta vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Parramatta $4,603
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $5,903 per month in Parramatta vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Parramatta $5,903
Brisbane $4,972

Parramatta costs about 26% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Parramatta and Brisbane sit above the global median – Parramatta by 143%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 A$24.58

$17.61 A$25.02

-1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 A$129

$80.0 A$114

13.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 A$16.98

$11.43 A$16.24

4.55%

Cappuccino

$3.95 A$5.61

$4.51 A$6.41

-12.42%

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

$3.17 A$4.50

$2.95 A$4.20

7.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 A$3.63

$2.39 A$3.40

7.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.14

$8.61 A$12.23

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.56

$8.36 A$11.88

-11.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.34

$1.62 A$2.30

1.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 A$3.97

$2.65 A$3.77

5.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.32 A$3.30

2.59%

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.64

$4.94 A$7.02

8.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 A$17.11

$9.08 A$12.90

32.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 A$13.58

$9.12 A$12.96

4.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 A$21.91

$14.34 A$20.37

7.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 A$5.70

$4.14 A$5.88

-3.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.57

$3.07 A$4.36

4.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.94

$3.05 A$4.33

14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 A$7.01

$4.89 A$6.94

0.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.38

$2.81 A$3.99

9.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.47

$2.48 A$3.52

-1.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.63

$2.41 A$3.42

6.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.97

$1.19 A$1.69

15.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.83 A$63.7

$38.54 A$54.8

16.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$19.96

$12.65 A$17.97

11.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.79

$5.22 A$7.41

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 A$5.74

$4.87 A$6.92

-17.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 A$3.19

$0.34 A$0.48

558.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$20.97 A$29.80

563.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$3.05 A$4.33

13.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.26

$1.89 A$2.69

-15.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.91 A$58.1

$40.76 A$57.9

0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.45 A$2.06

-7.59%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-0.72%

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

$26.6K A$37.8K

$25.6K A$36.4K

4.02%

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

$254 A$361

$158 A$224

61.13%

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

$27.25 A$38.72

$26.05 A$37.02

4.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 A$78.0

$61.1 A$86.9

-10.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 A$76.6

$61.2 A$86.9

-11.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 A$28.44

$22.36 A$31.77

-10.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 A$22.60

$13.95 A$19.82

14.05%

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

$2,337 A$3,321

$2,044 A$2,905

14.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.0K

$12.9K A$18.3K

58.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$82.4 A$117

-2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.3

$43.63 A$62.0

27.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$152

$113 A$161

-5.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$180

$111 A$158

14.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,541 A$3,610

$1,944 A$2,762

30.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 A$2,660

$1,431 A$2,034

30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 A$5,310

$3,484 A$4,951

7.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 A$3,876

$2,240 A$3,184

21.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,197 A$5,963

$9,322 A$13.2K

-54.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 A$4,771

$7,003 A$9,951

-52.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,034 A$5,732

$4,144 A$5,888

-2.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.81

1.89%

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

Last update for Parramatta: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Parramatta

$1.9K 56.7%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 23.5% $441

Groceries & Markets

Parramatta

$381 11.5%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 5.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Parramatta

$336 10.2%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 27.2% $91

Eating Out

Parramatta

$302 9.1%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 2.8% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Parramatta

$166 5%

Brisbane

$158 6% 5.3% $8.8

Getting Around

Parramatta

$160 4.8%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 78.2% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Parramatta

$86 2.6%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 3.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,541 in Parramatta 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 3% 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 $91 in Parramatta versus $80 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $381 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Parramatta

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

09:54 9:54 AM

08:54 8:54 AM

1 h behind Parramatta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,745

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Parramatta Brisbane 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Parramatta
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

Parramatta vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Parramatta costs about 26% 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 $4,955 per month in Parramatta 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 Brisbane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,944 there versus $2,541 in Parramatta.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Parramatta, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Parramatta and $80 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 $3,303 in Parramatta and $2,630 in Brisbane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Brisbane – 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.

For expats, Brisbane is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.