Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunshine Coast: $2,343 a month against $2,630 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,630

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,343 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $2,630 in Brisbane, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $2,343
Brisbane $2,630

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $3,801 in Brisbane, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $3,553
Brisbane $3,801

A family of three spends $4,762 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $4,972 in Brisbane, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $4,762
Brisbane $4,972

Sunshine Coast is about 11% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sunshine Coast and Brisbane sit above the global median – Sunshine Coast by 72%, Brisbane by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.19

$17.61 A$25.04

0.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 A$105

$80.0 A$114

-7.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$14.99

$11.43 A$16.25

-7.79%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.63

$4.51 A$6.42

-12.20%

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

$2.88 A$4.09

$2.95 A$4.20

-2.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.90

$2.39 A$3.40

14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 A$10.63

$8.61 A$12.24

-13.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 A$13.09

$8.36 A$11.89

10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.62 A$2.30

-17.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 A$2.79

$2.65 A$3.77

-25.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.32 A$3.30

-11.64%

Eggs

$4.74 A$6.74

$4.94 A$7.02

-4.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 A$15.88

$9.08 A$12.91

23.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.36

$9.12 A$12.97

-12.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 A$30.24

$14.34 A$20.39

48.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$4.14 A$5.89

-23.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.50

$3.07 A$4.36

-19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$3.05 A$4.33

3.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.76

$4.89 A$6.95

-17.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$2.81 A$4.00

-22.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 A$2.39

$2.48 A$3.52

-32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.41 A$3.42

-7.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$1.19 A$1.69

94.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$47.13 A$67.0

$38.54 A$54.8

22.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 A$22.09

$12.65 A$17.98

22.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.83

$5.22 A$7.42

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 A$8.41

$4.87 A$6.92

21.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$0.34 A$0.48

8.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.32 A$34.58

$20.97 A$29.82

15.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 A$3.02

$3.05 A$4.34

-30.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.89 A$2.69

-15.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.31 A$51.6

$40.76 A$58.0

-10.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.45 A$2.06

-8.28%

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

$31.3K A$44.5K

$29.7K A$42.2K

5.34%

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

$31.1K A$44.2K

$25.6K A$36.4K

21.45%

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

$139 A$198

$158 A$224

-11.74%

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

$43.15 A$61.4

$26.05 A$37.05

65.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 A$94.9

$61.1 A$86.9

9.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$73.6

$61.2 A$87.0

-15.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 A$23.47

$22.36 A$31.79

-26.21%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 A$22.22

$13.95 A$19.84

12.04%

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

$2,168 A$3,082

$2,044 A$2,907

6.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K A$18.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 A$92.5

$82.4 A$117

-21.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$112 A$160

$43.63 A$62.0

157.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 A$137

$113 A$161

-15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 A$142

$111 A$158

-10.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 A$1,921

$1,944 A$2,764

-30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,607

$1,431 A$2,035

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 A$3,426

$3,484 A$4,955

-30.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,881

$2,240 A$3,186

-9.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,540 A$7,878

$9,322 A$13.3K

-40.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,183 A$7,370

$7,003 A$9,958

-25.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,508 A$4,989

$4,144 A$5,893

-15.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.81

-1.03%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.4% 26.6% $301

Groceries & Markets

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1%

Brisbane

$362 13.8% 4.2% $16

Eating Out

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8%

Brisbane

$310 11.8% 3.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6%

Brisbane

$245 9.3% 1.7% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2%

Brisbane

$158 6% 6.2% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 7.3% $6

Getting Around

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 3% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,351 in Sunshine Coast 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 18% higher in Brisbane. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Sunshine Coast versus $80 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Sunshine Coast vs $362 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

03:48 3:48 AM

Same time as Sunshine Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

284,131

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sunshine Coast Brisbane 91 km

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Sunshine Coast
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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

Sunshine Coast vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 12% more than Sunshine Coast, 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 $3,515 per month in Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,351 there versus $1,944 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Sunshine Coast and $80 in Brisbane. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,343 in Sunshine Coast to $2,630 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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