Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond, Canada and Surfers Paradise

For one person, living is cheaper in Richmond: $2,459 a month against $2,832 in Surfers Paradise, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Richmond
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Richmond Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
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Surfers Paradise Living Index

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Richmond

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,459

/mo nomad

Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Richmond and in Surfers Paradise

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Richmond and in Surfers Paradise actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,459 in Richmond versus $2,832 in Surfers Paradise.

Richmond $2,459
Surfers Paradise $2,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,502 in Richmond versus $4,395 in Surfers Paradise.

Richmond $3,502
Surfers Paradise $4,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,545 in Richmond versus $5,958 in Surfers Paradise.

Richmond $4,545
Surfers Paradise $5,958

Living in Richmond costs roughly 13% less than in Surfers Paradise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond 81% above, Surfers Paradise 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.21 CA$22.64

$17.37 A$24.70

-6.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 CA$100

$103 A$147

-30.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.08 CA$12.69

$10.98 A$15.62

-17.30%

Cappuccino

$4.22 CA$5.89

$4.11 A$5.85

2.68%

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

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.80 A$3.98

-27.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$2.42 A$3.45

-36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 CA$7.57

$7.74 A$11.00

-29.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.77

$7.73 A$10.99

-28.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.64 A$2.33

34.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$2.65 A$3.77

-18.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 CA$3.29

$2.41 A$3.43

-2.07%

Eggs

$3.15 CA$4.40

$5.00 A$7.10

-37.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 CA$12.35

$8.93 A$12.71

-1.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.10

$9.39 A$13.35

15.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 CA$13.61

$14.52 A$20.65

-32.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$3.80 A$5.40

-30.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.81

$3.01 A$4.28

-57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$3.40 A$4.84

-22.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.07

$4.77 A$6.78

-23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 CA$2.93

$2.84 A$4.03

-26.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 CA$2.51

$2.47 A$3.51

-27.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 CA$2.84

$2.30 A$3.27

-11.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CA$1.70

$2.02 A$2.87

-39.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.39 CA$20.10

$39.26 A$55.8

-63.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CA$17.79

$14.09 A$20.05

-9.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 CA$3.05

$6.01 A$8.55

-63.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 CA$3.05

$4.95 A$7.04

-55.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 CA$3.03

$0.36 A$0.52

502.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.5 CA$111

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.16

$2.12 A$3.02

40.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.95

$1.59 A$2.26

-12.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.52 A$51.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.87

$1.37 A$1.95

-2.19%

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

$26.7K CA$37.3K

$29.3K A$41.6K

-8.73%

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

$20.8K CA$29.1K

$25.6K A$36.5K

-18.81%

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

$132 CA$184

$214 A$305

-38.45%

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

$32.35 CA$45.19

$30.45 A$43.31

6.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.70 CA$65.3

$57.0 A$81.1

-18.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.75 CA$33.18

$68.3 A$97.1

-65.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$14.88 A$21.16

-83.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.40

$13.86 A$19.71

-10.10%

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

$800 CA$1,117

$1,999 A$2,843

-60.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CA$14.9K

$12.7K A$18.1K

-16.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 CA$74.3

$82.9 A$118

-35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.29 CA$45.11

$54.7 A$77.7

-40.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 CA$133

$110 A$156

-13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$165

$123 A$174

-3.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 CA$2,558

$1,935 A$2,752

-5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 CA$1,968

$1,581 A$2,248

-10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 CA$3,524

$3,857 A$5,486

-34.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,140 CA$2,989

$3,066 A$4,361

-30.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,487 CA$11.9K

$5,860 A$8,335

44.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,437 CA$8,993

$4,823 A$6,859

33.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,072 CA$4,292

$3,221 A$4,581

-4.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

5.81

-17.90%

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

Last update for Richmond: October 25, 2026

Last update for Surfers Paradise: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Richmond

$1.4K 57.3%

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.8% 12.2% $172

Groceries & Markets

Richmond

$298 12.1%

Surfers Paradise

$379 13.4% 27.1% $81

Eating Out

Richmond

$260 10.6%

Surfers Paradise

$296 10.5% 13.9% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Richmond

$211 8.6%

Surfers Paradise

$302 10.7% 43% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Richmond

$135 5.5%

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9% 23.7% $32

Getting Around

Richmond

$98 4%

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4% 88.3% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Richmond

$49 2%

Surfers Paradise

$96 3.4% 97.2% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,831 in Richmond and $1,935 in Surfers Paradise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surfers Paradise pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $72 in Richmond vs $103 in Surfers Paradise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $379 per month, with Richmond cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Richmond

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🕒 Local time

23:34 11:34 PM

16:34 4:34 PM

17 h ahead of Richmond

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,309

19,668

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Richmond Surfers Paradise 11,880 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Richmond
Surfers Paradise

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

Richmond vs Surfers Paradise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richmond wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Surfers Paradise. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Richmond the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Richmond. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,831 in Richmond versus $1,935 in Surfers Paradise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $800 in Richmond versus $1,999 in Surfers Paradise. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Richmond – a meal for two runs $72 versus $103 in Surfers Paradise. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Richmond is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Richmond wins on affordability, Surfers Paradise on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.