Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southern Cross and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Southern Cross: $2,532 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,532

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,532 per month in Southern Cross vs $2,644 in Brisbane, rent included.

Southern Cross $2,532
Brisbane $2,644

A couple spends around $3,583 per month in Southern Cross vs $3,821 in Brisbane, rent included.

Southern Cross $3,583
Brisbane $3,821

A family of three spends $4,635 per month in Southern Cross vs $4,999 in Brisbane, rent included.

Southern Cross $4,635
Brisbane $4,999

Southern Cross is about 4% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Southern Cross and Brisbane sit above the global median – Southern Cross by 87%, Brisbane by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.39 A$27.64

$17.81 A$25.39

8.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.2 A$87.2

$85.4 A$122

-28.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.22

$11.28 A$16.08

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.95

$4.45 A$6.34

-22.02%

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

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.80 A$4.00

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 A$2.53

$2.45 A$3.49

-27.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 A$9.88

$8.60 A$12.26

-19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.91

$8.36 A$11.92

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.76 A$2.50

-10.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.88

$2.57 A$3.66

5.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.18 A$3.11

1.83%

Eggs

$2.76 A$3.94

$4.95 A$7.05

-44.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 A$13.20

$9.58 A$13.65

-3.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 A$13.46

$9.01 A$12.85

4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 A$20.90

$14.00 A$19.96

4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 A$5.52

$4.21 A$6.00

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.27

$3.18 A$4.53

-5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.51

$2.79 A$3.98

13.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 A$6.61

$4.83 A$6.88

-4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.74

$2.80 A$4.00

-6.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.48

$2.36 A$3.36

3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.36 A$3.36

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.19 A$1.69

30.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.49 A$50.6

$39.08 A$55.7

-9.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 A$20.22

$12.84 A$18.30

10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.77

$5.27 A$7.52

-9.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.63

$4.91 A$7.00

8.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 A$3.86

$0.36 A$0.51

652.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.7 A$122

$21.39 A$30.49

300.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.07

$2.61 A$3.71

36.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.24

$1.88 A$2.68

-16.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.2

$41.67 A$59.4

-5.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.81

$1.48 A$2.11

-14.19%

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

$28.9K A$41.2K

$29.0K A$41.3K

-0.29%

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

$26.8K A$38.2K

$25.9K A$36.9K

3.46%

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

$208 A$296

$160 A$228

30.08%

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

$27.83 A$39.67

$26.65 A$38.00

4.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 A$81.9

$61.2 A$87.3

-6.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 A$81.0

$61.1 A$87.1

-6.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 A$25.70

$22.66 A$32.30

-20.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.09 A$20.08

$14.15 A$20.17

-0.42%

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

$2,165 A$3,087

$1,982 A$2,825

9.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.4K

$26.8K A$38.3K

-23.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 A$109

$85.1 A$121

-10.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$79.0

$46.37 A$66.1

19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$155

$111 A$158

-1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$174

$110 A$156

11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 A$1,964

$1,957 A$2,790

-29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 A$1,749

$1,441 A$2,055

-14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 A$3,215

$3,481 A$4,962

-35.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 A$2,608

$2,234 A$3,184

-18.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,968 A$8,508

$9,571 A$13.6K

-37.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,897 A$6,981

$6,938 A$9,891

-29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,095 A$10.1K

$4,134 A$5,894

71.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.84

7.02%

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

Last update for Southern Cross: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southern Cross

$1.2K 48.5%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 17.5% $214

Groceries & Markets

Southern Cross

$359 14.2%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 0.8% $3

Eating Out

Southern Cross

$297 11.7%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 4.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southern Cross

$293 11.6%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 15.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Southern Cross

$163 6.4%

Brisbane

$158 6% 2.9% $4.7

Getting Around

Southern Cross

$108 4.3%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 67.7% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Southern Cross

$85 3.4%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 5.2% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,377 in Southern Cross versus $1,957 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 72% higher in Southern Cross, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Southern Cross versus $85 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $359 vs $362 – making Southern Cross the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

2 h ahead of Southern Cross

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Southern Cross Brisbane 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Southern Cross
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

Southern Cross vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 4% more than Southern Cross, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,798 per month in Southern Cross and $3,965 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Southern Cross, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,377 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,532 in Southern Cross and $2,644 in Brisbane. That makes Southern Cross about 4% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,165 per month in Southern Cross and $1,982 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,532 in Southern Cross and $2,644 in Brisbane, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,532 in Southern Cross to $2,644 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.