Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in South Yarra: $2,514 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in South Yarra
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South Yarra Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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South Yarra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,514

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,514 per month in South Yarra vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

South Yarra $2,514
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,591 per month in South Yarra vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

South Yarra $3,591
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,668 per month in South Yarra vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

South Yarra $4,668
Brisbane $4,972

South Yarra is about 4% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both South Yarra and Brisbane sit above the global median – South Yarra by 85%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.10

$17.61 A$25.02

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.6 A$119

$80.0 A$114

4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 A$12.25

$11.43 A$16.24

-24.58%

Cappuccino

$3.61 A$5.13

$4.51 A$6.41

-19.96%

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

$2.06 A$2.93

$2.95 A$4.20

-30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.51

$2.39 A$3.40

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 A$14.34

$8.61 A$12.23

17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.81

$8.36 A$11.88

-0.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.62 A$2.30

-3.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 A$4.05

$2.65 A$3.77

7.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 A$2.02

$2.32 A$3.30

-38.79%

Eggs

$4.12 A$5.85

$4.94 A$7.02

-16.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 A$15.24

$9.08 A$12.90

18.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.74

$9.12 A$12.96

-24.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 A$21.27

$14.34 A$20.37

4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.91

$4.14 A$5.88

-33.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$3.07 A$4.36

-29.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 A$2.01

$3.05 A$4.33

-53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.02

$4.89 A$6.94

-42.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 A$1.94

$2.81 A$3.99

-51.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$2.48 A$3.52

-12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.41 A$3.42

-1.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.19 A$1.69

31.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.45 A$44.68

$38.54 A$54.8

-18.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 A$18.01

$12.65 A$17.97

0.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.56 A$7.90

$5.22 A$7.41

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.40

$4.87 A$6.92

6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.84

$0.34 A$0.48

694.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 A$122

$20.97 A$29.80

308.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 A$6.30

$3.05 A$4.33

45.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.89 A$2.69

-26.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 A$42.54

$40.76 A$57.9

-26.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.45 A$2.06

-7.59%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$29.7K A$42.2K

0.77%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$25.6K A$36.4K

0.29%

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

$233 A$331

$158 A$224

47.67%

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

$28.22 A$40.10

$26.05 A$37.02

8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.43 A$58.9

$61.1 A$86.9

-32.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$79.5

$61.2 A$86.9

-8.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 A$21.66

$22.36 A$31.77

-31.84%

Cinema Ticket

$16.70 A$23.73

$13.95 A$19.82

19.71%

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

$2,427 A$3,449

$2,044 A$2,905

18.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K A$42.6K

$12.9K A$18.3K

132.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$115

$82.4 A$117

-2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.0

$43.63 A$62.0

14.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$113 A$161

6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$111 A$158

18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 A$2,011

$1,944 A$2,762

-27.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 A$1,740

$1,431 A$2,034

-14.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 A$3,164

$3,484 A$4,951

-36.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 A$2,574

$2,240 A$3,184

-19.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,985 A$8,504

$9,322 A$13.2K

-35.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 A$6,016

$7,003 A$9,951

-39.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 A$5,888

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.81

1.55%

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

Last update for South Yarra: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Yarra

$1.2K 48.7%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 16.9% $207

Groceries & Markets

South Yarra

$325 12.9%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 11.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Yarra

$303 12%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 19.1% $58

Eating Out

South Yarra

$293 11.7%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

South Yarra

$172 6.9%

Brisbane

$158 6% 8.5% $15

Getting Around

South Yarra

$108 4.3%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

South Yarra

$89 3.6%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,415 in South Yarra 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in South Yarra versus $80 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in South Yarra vs $362 in Brisbane – so South Yarra wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 South Yarra

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h behind South Yarra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,147

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

South Yarra Brisbane 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

South Yarra
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

South Yarra vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 5% more than South Yarra, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,771 per month in South Yarra 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 South Yarra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,415 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Brisbane, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in South Yarra and $80 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,514 in South Yarra and $2,630 in Brisbane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,514 in South Yarra to $2,630 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.