Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surfers Paradise and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,520 a month against $2,824 in Surfers Paradise, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
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Surfers Paradise Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,824

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,824 per month in Surfers Paradise vs $2,520 in Brisbane, rent included.

Surfers Paradise $2,824
Brisbane $2,520

A couple spends around $4,398 per month in Surfers Paradise vs $3,730 in Brisbane, rent included.

Surfers Paradise $4,398
Brisbane $3,730

A family of three spends $5,973 per month in Surfers Paradise vs $4,940 in Brisbane, rent included.

Surfers Paradise $5,973
Brisbane $4,940

Surfers Paradise costs about 12% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Surfers Paradise and Brisbane sit above the global median – Surfers Paradise by 109%, Brisbane by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.36 A$24.99

$17.58 A$25.29

-1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$151

$69.8 A$101

50.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 A$15.62

$11.18 A$16.09

-2.95%

Cappuccino

$4.10 A$5.90

$4.26 A$6.13

-3.76%

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

$2.81 A$4.05

$2.88 A$4.15

-2.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.50 A$3.60

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 A$11.31

$8.55 A$12.30

-8.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$11.32

$8.10 A$11.66

-2.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.40

$1.62 A$2.33

2.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.89

$2.66 A$3.83

1.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.46

$2.20 A$3.17

9.55%

Eggs

$4.90 A$7.05

$4.93 A$7.10

-0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 A$12.49

$9.03 A$12.99

-3.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 A$13.07

$9.04 A$13.01

0.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 A$20.83

$13.86 A$19.94

4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.65

$4.11 A$5.92

-4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$3.00 A$4.32

2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.85

$2.91 A$4.18

15.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.97

$4.87 A$7.01

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.06

$2.74 A$3.95

2.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$2.44 A$3.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.44

$2.40 A$3.46

-0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 A$2.98

$1.22 A$1.76

69.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.58 A$54.1

$38.84 A$55.9

-3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.52

$12.35 A$17.78

15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.97 A$8.59

$5.12 A$7.37

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.36

$4.90 A$7.04

4.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.49

$0.36 A$0.52

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 A$3.02

$3.05 A$4.39

-31.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.77 A$2.55

-8.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.24 A$50.7

$41.12 A$59.2

-14.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.86

$1.45 A$2.08

-10.34%

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

$27.0K A$38.9K

$26.7K A$38.4K

1.20%

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

$28.3K A$40.8K

$27.8K A$39.9K

2.15%

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

$212 A$305

$159 A$228

33.70%

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

$29.92 A$43.06

$25.86 A$37.21

15.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$79.8

$60.3 A$86.8

-8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 A$95.1

$61.9 A$89.1

6.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 A$20.80

$22.88 A$32.93

-36.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 A$25.06

$17.41 A$25.06

0.06%

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

$1,944 A$2,798

$1,928 A$2,774

0.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.8K

$12.6K A$18.1K

-1.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 A$120

$84.4 A$121

-1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 A$79.2

$44.85 A$64.5

22.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$110 A$159

0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$175

$109 A$157

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 A$2,752

$1,927 A$2,773

-0.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,260

$1,325 A$1,906

18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,770 A$5,425

$3,276 A$4,714

15.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 A$4,413

$2,266 A$3,261

35.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,895 A$8,483

$8,315 A$12.0K

-29.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,954 A$7,128

$5,955 A$8,569

-16.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,288 A$4,731

$4,100 A$5,900

-19.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

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

Last update for Surfers Paradise: October 12, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.6%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6% 15.6% $246

Groceries & Markets

Surfers Paradise

$380 13.5%

Brisbane

$357 14.2% 5.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surfers Paradise

$298 10.5%

Brisbane

$245 9.7% 17.7% $53

Eating Out

Surfers Paradise

$297 10.5%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 3.1% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 5.9% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Surfers Paradise

$101 3.6%

Brisbane

$97 3.8% 4.1% $4.1

Getting Around

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 195% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,912 in Surfers Paradise versus $1,927 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 reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Surfers Paradise versus $70.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $357 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

Same time as Surfers Paradise

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,668

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Surfers Paradise Brisbane 71 km

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Surfers Paradise
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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

Surfers Paradise vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surfers Paradise costs about 12% more than Brisbane, 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 $4,235 per month in Surfers Paradise and $3,781 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,824 in Surfers Paradise and $2,520 in Brisbane. That's a gap of about 12%.

Kindergarten costs $1,944 per month in Surfers Paradise and $1,928 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,824 in Surfers Paradise and $2,520 in Brisbane. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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 Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surfers Paradise makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.