Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penrith and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Penrith and in Brisbane: $2,604 and $2,520 a month, rent and utilities included.

122

Cost of Living Index in Penrith
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Penrith Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Penrith

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,604

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,604 per month in Penrith vs $2,520 in Brisbane, rent included.

Penrith $2,604
Brisbane $2,520

A couple spends around $3,652 per month in Penrith vs $3,730 in Brisbane, rent included.

Penrith $3,652
Brisbane $3,730

A family of three spends $4,701 per month in Penrith vs $4,940 in Brisbane, rent included.

Penrith $4,701
Brisbane $4,940

Penrith costs about 3% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Penrith and Brisbane sit above the global median – Penrith by 93%, Brisbane by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.03 A$30.26

$17.58 A$25.29

19.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 A$129

$69.8 A$101

28.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 A$15.19

$11.18 A$16.09

-5.55%

Cappuccino

$2.04 A$2.93

$4.26 A$6.13

-52.11%

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

$3.16 A$4.54

$2.88 A$4.15

9.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 A$3.69

$2.50 A$3.60

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 A$12.33

$8.55 A$12.30

0.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 A$7.14

$8.10 A$11.66

-38.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.62 A$2.33

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 A$4.78

$2.66 A$3.83

24.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.65

$2.20 A$3.17

15.45%

Eggs

$5.16 A$7.42

$4.93 A$7.10

4.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 A$18.82

$9.03 A$12.99

44.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 A$14.02

$9.04 A$13.01

7.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 A$22.16

$13.86 A$19.94

11.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 A$5.65

$4.11 A$5.92

-4.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$3.00 A$4.32

2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.04

$2.91 A$4.18

20.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 A$7.65

$4.87 A$7.01

9.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.56

$2.74 A$3.95

15.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.02

$2.44 A$3.51

14.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.57

$2.40 A$3.46

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.93

$1.22 A$1.76

9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.42 A$65.4

$38.84 A$55.9

16.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 A$20.24

$12.35 A$17.78

13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 A$6.65

$5.12 A$7.37

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 A$8.11

$4.90 A$7.04

15.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 A$4.57

$0.36 A$0.52

780.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$113

$20.68 A$29.76

279.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.05 A$4.39

34.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.77 A$2.55

-11.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 A$61.3

$41.12 A$59.2

3.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.70

$1.45 A$2.08

-18.62%

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

$27.1K A$39.0K

$26.7K A$38.4K

1.44%

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

$30.0K A$43.2K

$27.8K A$39.9K

8.15%

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

$183 A$263

$159 A$228

15.09%

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

$26.16 A$37.65

$25.86 A$37.21

1.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$79.7

$60.3 A$86.8

-8.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 A$73.4

$61.9 A$89.1

-17.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.42

$22.88 A$32.93

-22.81%

Cinema Ticket

$15.88 A$22.86

$17.41 A$25.06

-8.79%

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

$2,390 A$3,439

$1,928 A$2,774

23.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K A$28.7K

$12.6K A$18.1K

58.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.3 A$108

$84.4 A$121

-10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 A$80.8

$44.85 A$64.5

25.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$155

$110 A$159

-2.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$109 A$157

23.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 A$1,973

$1,927 A$2,773

-28.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,855

$1,325 A$1,906

-2.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 A$3,082

$3,276 A$4,714

-34.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 A$2,427

$2,266 A$3,261

-25.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,992 A$7,184

$8,315 A$12.0K

-39.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,361 A$6,275

$5,955 A$8,569

-26.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.81

2.41%

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

Last update for Penrith: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Penrith

$1.3K 49.5%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6% 2.8% $35

Groceries & Markets

Penrith

$396 15.2%

Brisbane

$357 14.2% 9.8% $39

Eating Out

Penrith

$300 11.5%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 1.9% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Penrith

$264 10.2%

Brisbane

$245 9.7% 7.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Penrith

$168 6.5%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 6.7% $11

Getting Around

Penrith

$103 4%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 67% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Penrith

$83 3.2%

Brisbane

$97 3.8% 16.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,371 in Penrith 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Penrith versus $70.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $396 vs $357 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Penrith

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

11:31 11:31 AM

10:31 10:31 AM

1 h behind Penrith

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,343

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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Between locations

Penrith Brisbane 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Penrith
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

Penrith vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penrith costs about 3% 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 $3,905 per month in Penrith 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 Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Penrith, 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 $90.0 in Penrith and $70.0 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 $2,604 in Penrith and $2,520 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 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 Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Penrith makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.