Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond and Surfers Paradise Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond and Surfers Paradise

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,566 in Richmond versus $1,938 in Surfers Paradise.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,820 in Richmond versus $3,221 in Surfers Paradise.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,074 in Richmond versus $4,503 in Surfers Paradise.

Living in Richmond is roughly 32% more expensive than in Surfers Paradise, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond 92% above, Surfers Paradise 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.39 CA$23.06

$16.00 A$22.84

2.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 CA$105

$93.4 A$133

-20.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 CA$13.44

$9.83 A$14.04

-2.85%

Cappuccino

$4.22 CA$5.94

$3.66 A$5.23

15.30%

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

$2.00 CA$2.81

$2.72 A$3.89

-26.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.91

$2.23 A$3.19

-39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 CA$7.94

$6.49 A$9.27

-13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 CA$8.43

$7.59 A$10.85

-21.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 CA$2.94

$1.60 A$2.28

30.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 CA$3.28

$2.22 A$3.17

4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.70

$2.35 A$3.35

11.91%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.50

$4.29 A$6.13

-25.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 CA$12.98

$7.99 A$11.41

15.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.64

$8.46 A$12.08

22.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 CA$14.19

$13.64 A$19.48

-26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.43

$3.69 A$5.27

-14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$2.80 A$3.99

-51.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.85

$3.40 A$4.86

-19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.46

$3.84 A$5.49

1.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 CA$3.42

$2.47 A$3.53

-1.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CA$3.01

$2.38 A$3.41

-10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CA$2.76

$2.15 A$3.07

-8.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$1.24 A$1.77

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.02 CA$21.13

$31.91 A$45.57

-52.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.96 CA$18.23

$14.02 A$20.02

-7.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$3.00

$6.41 A$9.15

-66.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CA$3.17

$4.12 A$5.88

-45.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$2.05 A$2.93

7.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 CA$109

$32.66 A$46.64

137.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 CA$4.40

$1.98 A$2.82

58.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 CA$2.18

$1.39 A$1.98

11.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.85 CA$36.38

$33.96 A$48.49

-23.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$1.18 A$1.69

16.10%

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

$24.6K CA$34.6K

$28.7K A$41.0K

-14.47%

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

$19.8K CA$27.9K

$22.7K A$32.4K

-12.59%

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

$113 CA$159

$208 A$297

-45.48%

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

$44.53 CA$62.7

$30.59 A$43.68

45.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.08 CA$64.8

$54.2 A$77.5

-15.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 CA$78.8

$62.5 A$89.2

-10.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.83 CA$6.80

$13.51 A$19.30

-64.25%

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 CA$16.89

$13.24 A$18.90

-9.37%

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

$943 CA$1,327

$1,600 A$2,284

-41.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K CA$15.4K

$8,929 A$12.8K

22.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.54 CA$68.3

$70.5 A$101

-31.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.28 CA$46.83

$48.30 A$69.0

-31.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.4 CA$130

$92.7 A$132

-0.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 CA$177

$100 A$143

26.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,799 CA$2,531

$1,301 A$1,858

38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 CA$2,035

$730 A$1,042

98.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,936 CA$4,131

$2,504 A$3,576

17.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,498 CA$3,516

$1,753 A$2,503

42.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,856 CA$13.9K

$5,791 A$8,269

70.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,865 CA$11.1K

$4,786 A$6,834

64.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,012 CA$4,239

$3,272 A$4,672

-7.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

6.3

-3.49%

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

Last update for Richmond: July 12, 2026

Last update for Surfers Paradise: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,799 in Richmond and $1,301 in Surfers Paradise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surfers Paradise pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Richmond vs $93.0 in Surfers Paradise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $344 per month, with Richmond cheaper across the board.

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

Surfers Paradise wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Richmond. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Surfers Paradise the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Surfers Paradise. 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: $1,799 in Richmond versus $1,301 in Surfers Paradise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Surfers Paradise runs roughly 138% less than in Richmond. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $943 in Richmond versus $1,600 in Surfers Paradise. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,938 in Surfers Paradise versus $2,566 in Richmond, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Surfers Paradise but tight or insufficient in Richmond. The gap between the two cities makes Surfers Paradise the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Richmond and Surfers Paradise are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surfers Paradise gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Richmond. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.