Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Douglas and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Port Douglas and in Brisbane: $2,579 and $2,644 a month, rent and utilities included.

124

Cost of Living Index in Port Douglas
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Port Douglas Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Port Douglas

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,579

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,579 per month in Port Douglas vs $2,644 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Douglas $2,579
Brisbane $2,644

A couple spends around $3,766 per month in Port Douglas vs $3,821 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Douglas $3,766
Brisbane $3,821

A family of three spends $4,952 per month in Port Douglas vs $4,999 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Douglas $4,952
Brisbane $4,999

Port Douglas and Brisbane have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Port Douglas and Brisbane sit above the global median – Port Douglas by 91%, Brisbane by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.40 A$24.84

$17.81 A$25.42

-2.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 A$138

$85.4 A$122

13.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.54 A$17.90

$11.28 A$16.09

11.17%

Cappuccino

$4.31 A$6.16

$4.45 A$6.35

-3.15%

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

$3.20 A$4.57

$2.80 A$4.00

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 A$3.94

$2.45 A$3.49

12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 A$9.71

$8.60 A$12.28

-20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 A$12.28

$8.36 A$11.94

2.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 A$2.65

$1.76 A$2.51

5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 A$3.77

$2.57 A$3.66

2.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.67

$2.18 A$3.12

17.89%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.67

$4.95 A$7.06

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 A$13.07

$9.58 A$13.67

-4.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 A$19.63

$9.01 A$12.86

52.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 A$21.51

$14.00 A$19.98

7.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$4.21 A$6.01

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.04

$3.18 A$4.54

-11.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.07

$2.79 A$3.99

27.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 A$8.52

$4.83 A$6.89

23.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.54

$2.80 A$4.00

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.72

$2.36 A$3.36

10.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 A$3.93

$2.36 A$3.37

16.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 A$3.75

$1.19 A$1.70

120.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.42 A$63.4

$39.08 A$55.8

13.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.14 A$20.19

$12.84 A$18.32

10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 A$5.05

$5.27 A$7.53

-32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.20 A$7.43

$4.91 A$7.01

5.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$3.98

$0.36 A$0.52

675.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 A$121

$21.39 A$30.52

297.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 A$3.71

$2.61 A$3.72

-0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 A$2.82

$1.88 A$2.68

4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.92 A$61.3

$41.67 A$59.5

3.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.83

$1.48 A$2.11

-13.51%

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

$28.9K A$41.2K

$29.0K A$41.4K

-0.39%

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

$31.4K A$44.8K

$25.9K A$37.0K

21.11%

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

$161 A$229

$160 A$228

0.64%

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

$35.46 A$50.6

$26.65 A$38.04

33.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 A$93.5

$61.2 A$87.4

7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 A$78.6

$61.1 A$87.2

-9.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.85 A$25.48

$22.66 A$32.34

-21.23%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 A$19.64

$14.15 A$20.19

-2.76%

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

$2,120 A$3,026

$1,982 A$2,829

6.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K A$20.2K

$26.8K A$38.3K

-47.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 A$130

$85.1 A$121

7.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.5 A$104

$46.37 A$66.2

56.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 A$178

$111 A$159

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$185

$110 A$156

18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 A$1,998

$1,957 A$2,793

-28.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,746

$1,441 A$2,057

-15.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,296 A$3,276

$3,481 A$4,968

-34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 A$2,575

$2,234 A$3,188

-19.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,744 A$8,198

$9,571 A$13.7K

-39.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,972 A$7,096

$6,938 A$9,903

-28.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,901

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

5.84

8.22%

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

Last update for Port Douglas: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Douglas

$1.2K 47.4%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 17.8% $218

Groceries & Markets

Port Douglas

$411 15.9%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 12% $50

Eating Out

Port Douglas

$304 11.8%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 2.2% $6.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Douglas

$262 10.2%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 5.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Port Douglas

$188 7.3%

Brisbane

$158 6% 15.8% $30

Getting Around

Port Douglas

$109 4.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Port Douglas

$83 3.2%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 8.2% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,400 in Port Douglas versus $1,957 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 $97 in Port Douglas versus $85 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $411 vs $362 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Douglas

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

Same time as Port Douglas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Port Douglas Brisbane 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Port Douglas
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

Port Douglas vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,869 per month in Port Douglas and $3,965 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Douglas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $2,120 per month in Port Douglas and $1,982 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,579 in Port Douglas and $2,644 in Brisbane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Port Douglas has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,579 in Port Douglas to $2,644 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.