Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Macquarie and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Port Macquarie and in Brisbane: $2,450 and $2,520 a month, rent and utilities included.

119

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,450

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,450 per month in Port Macquarie vs $2,520 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Macquarie $2,450
Brisbane $2,520

A couple spends around $3,487 per month in Port Macquarie vs $3,730 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Macquarie $3,487
Brisbane $3,730

A family of three spends $4,525 per month in Port Macquarie vs $4,940 in Brisbane, rent included.

Port Macquarie $4,525
Brisbane $4,940

Port Macquarie is about 3% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Port Macquarie and Brisbane sit above the global median – Port Macquarie by 81%, Brisbane by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 A$25.39

$17.58 A$25.18

0.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$125

$69.8 A$100

24.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 A$14.82

$11.18 A$16.02

-7.51%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.59

$4.26 A$6.10

-8.45%

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

$2.49 A$3.57

$2.88 A$4.13

-13.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 A$2.39

$2.50 A$3.58

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.19 A$8.87

$8.55 A$12.24

-27.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 A$9.13

$8.10 A$11.61

-21.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 A$2.91

$1.62 A$2.32

25.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 A$4.20

$2.66 A$3.81

10.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.93

$2.20 A$3.16

24.55%

Eggs

$5.29 A$7.58

$4.93 A$7.07

7.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.12 A$7.34

$9.03 A$12.93

-43.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 A$15.15

$9.04 A$12.96

16.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 A$17.12

$13.86 A$19.85

-13.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.50

$4.11 A$5.89

-23.60%

Banana (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$3.00 A$4.30

43.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.91 A$4.16

-17.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 A$7.09

$4.87 A$6.98

1.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.74 A$3.93

-12.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.44 A$3.49

-2.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 A$2.29

$2.40 A$3.44

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.15

$1.22 A$1.75

22.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.49 A$60.9

$38.84 A$55.6

9.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 A$14.91

$12.35 A$17.70

-15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 A$5.92

$5.12 A$7.34

-19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.39

$4.90 A$7.01

5.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.14

$0.36 A$0.52

702.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.7 A$116

$20.68 A$29.62

290.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.24

$3.05 A$4.37

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$1.77 A$2.54

-10.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.84 A$61.4

$41.12 A$58.9

4.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.45 A$2.07

-10.34%

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

$26.2K A$37.5K

$26.7K A$38.3K

-2.06%

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

$22.0K A$31.5K

$27.8K A$39.8K

-20.84%

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

$198 A$284

$159 A$227

24.74%

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

$30.80 A$44.13

$25.86 A$37.04

19.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 A$87.9

$60.3 A$86.4

1.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 A$73.7

$61.9 A$88.7

-16.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.54 A$13.67

$22.88 A$32.78

-58.30%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 A$15.64

$17.41 A$24.95

-37.28%

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

$1,823 A$2,612

$1,928 A$2,762

-5.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.6K

$12.6K A$18.0K

47.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 A$101

$84.4 A$121

-16.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.6

$44.85 A$64.3

22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$110 A$158

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$153

$109 A$156

-2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 A$2,016

$1,927 A$2,761

-26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 A$1,721

$1,325 A$1,898

-9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 A$3,055

$3,276 A$4,693

-34.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 A$2,426

$2,266 A$3,246

-25.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,785 A$8,287

$8,315 A$11.9K

-30.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,938 A$7,074

$5,955 A$8,530

-17.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 A$3,966

$4,100 A$5,873

-32.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.81

-8.26%

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

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6% 10.3% $123

Groceries & Markets

Port Macquarie

$350 14.3%

Brisbane

$357 14.2% 2.1% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Macquarie

$290 11.9%

Brisbane

$245 9.7% 15.6% $45

Eating Out

Port Macquarie

$280 11.4%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 9.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Port Macquarie

$151 6.2%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 3.7% $5.6

Getting Around

Port Macquarie

$104 4.2%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 67.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Port Macquarie

$73 3%

Brisbane

$97 3.8% 32% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,408 in Port Macquarie 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.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Port Macquarie versus $70.0 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Port Macquarie vs $357 in Brisbane – so Port Macquarie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

07:17 7:17 AM

06:17 6:17 AM

1 h behind Port Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,793

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Port Macquarie Brisbane 440 km

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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 Macquarie vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Port Macquarie, 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 $3,675 per month in Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% 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 $87.0 in Port Macquarie and $70.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,450, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Port Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Macquarie – 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 Port Macquarie. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.