Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockhampton and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockhampton: $1,987 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

95

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
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Rockhampton Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,987

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,987 per month in Rockhampton vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Rockhampton $1,987
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,229 per month in Rockhampton vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Rockhampton $3,229
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,471 per month in Rockhampton vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Rockhampton $4,471
Brisbane $4,972

Rockhampton is about 24% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Rockhampton and Brisbane sit above the global median – Rockhampton by 46%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.51 A$29.14

$17.61 A$25.02

16.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$119

$80.0 A$114

4.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 A$14.07

$11.43 A$16.24

-13.39%

Cappuccino

$5.01 A$7.12

$4.51 A$6.41

11.09%

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

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.95 A$4.20

-18.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 A$3.94

$2.39 A$3.40

15.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 A$10.89

$8.61 A$12.23

-11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 A$9.19

$8.36 A$11.88

-22.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 A$3.38

$1.62 A$2.30

46.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.65 A$3.77

-11.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$2.32 A$3.30

-6.47%

Eggs

$3.84 A$5.45

$4.94 A$7.02

-22.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.86 A$9.75

$9.08 A$12.90

-24.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 A$15.85

$9.12 A$12.96

22.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 A$22.36

$14.34 A$20.37

9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.79

$4.14 A$5.88

-35.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.93

$3.07 A$4.36

-32.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.66

$3.05 A$4.33

-38.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 A$7.04

$4.89 A$6.94

1.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 A$2.83

$2.81 A$3.99

-29.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.30

$2.48 A$3.52

-6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 A$2.73

$2.41 A$3.42

-20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.17

$1.19 A$1.69

87.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.33 A$53.1

$38.54 A$54.8

-3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 A$21.56

$12.65 A$17.97

19.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$5.00

$5.22 A$7.41

-32.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 A$8.43

$4.87 A$6.92

21.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 A$2.45

$0.34 A$0.48

405.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 A$89.8

$20.97 A$29.80

201.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.91

$3.05 A$4.33

13.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.89 A$2.69

-6.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.29 A$55.8

$40.76 A$57.9

-3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.72

$1.45 A$2.06

-16.55%

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

$29.8K A$42.4K

$29.7K A$42.2K

0.42%

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

$22.9K A$32.5K

$25.6K A$36.4K

-10.63%

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

$203 A$289

$158 A$224

28.96%

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

$23.89 A$33.94

$26.05 A$37.02

-8.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 A$96.1

$61.1 A$86.9

10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.77 A$56.5

$61.2 A$86.9

-34.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 A$20.22

$22.36 A$31.77

-36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 A$22.57

$13.95 A$19.82

13.91%

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

$1,776 A$2,523

$2,044 A$2,905

-13.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,584 A$9,356

$12.9K A$18.3K

-48.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 A$181

$82.4 A$117

54.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 A$84.6

$43.63 A$62.0

36.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 A$201

$113 A$161

24.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 A$90.9

$111 A$158

-42.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 A$1,164

$1,944 A$2,762

-57.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 A$964

$1,431 A$2,034

-52.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 A$2,309

$3,484 A$4,951

-53.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 A$2,201

$2,240 A$3,184

-30.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,322 A$13.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,003 A$9,951

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,315 A$4,710

$4,144 A$5,888

-20.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.27

5.81

7.92%

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

Last update for Rockhampton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rockhampton

$678 34.1%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 111% $753

Groceries & Markets

Rockhampton

$358 18%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 1.2% $4.2

Eating Out

Rockhampton

$326 16.4%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 4.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockhampton

$295 14.8%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 17% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Rockhampton

$176 8.9%

Brisbane

$158 6% 10.6% $19

Getting Around

Rockhampton

$82 4.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 57.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Rockhampton

$72 3.6%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 24.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $819 in Rockhampton versus $1,944 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 25% 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 $84 in Rockhampton versus $80 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $358 in Rockhampton vs $362 in Brisbane – so Rockhampton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

Same time as Rockhampton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,151

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Rockhampton Brisbane 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rockhampton
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

Rockhampton vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 32% more than Rockhampton, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,981 per month in Rockhampton and $3,945 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rockhampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $819 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,987 in Rockhampton and $2,630 in Brisbane. That makes Rockhampton about 24% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,776 per month in Rockhampton and $2,044 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rockhampton, where all-in costs run around $1,987, than in Brisbane at $2,630. In Rockhampton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rockhampton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

If budget matters most, go with Rockhampton. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.