Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,518 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,245 per month in Sydney vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Sydney $3,245
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $4,803 per month in Sydney vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Sydney $4,803
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $6,362 per month in Sydney vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Sydney $6,362
Brisbane $4,922

Sydney costs about 29% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Brisbane sit above the global median – Sydney by 139%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$17.39 A$25.02

0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$70.9 A$102

27.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$11.09 A$15.95

7.48%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$4.43 A$6.38

-9.03%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.90 A$4.17

-0.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.43 A$3.49

-8.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$8.42 A$12.12

-6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$8.31 A$11.96

-18.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.67 A$2.40

2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.72 A$3.92

8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$2.29 A$3.29

9.61%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$4.82 A$6.94

15.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$9.06 A$13.03

29.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$9.18 A$13.21

1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$14.21 A$20.45

17.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$4.31 A$6.20

-9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$3.04 A$4.38

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$3.00 A$4.32

16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$4.75 A$6.84

-7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$2.72 A$3.92

22.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.34 A$3.37

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$2.42 A$3.48

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.19 A$1.71

-3.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$38.67 A$55.7

14.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$12.66 A$18.21

8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$5.40 A$7.77

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$5.13 A$7.38

-21.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$0.37 A$0.53

770.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$20.72 A$29.81

643.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$2.92 A$4.20

22.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$1.86 A$2.68

-15.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$41.05 A$59.1

-3.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.40 A$2.01

5.71%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$29.7K A$42.8K

-0.66%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$26.0K A$37.4K

6.52%

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

$241 A$347

$159 A$229

51.70%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$26.52 A$38.16

3.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$60.6 A$87.2

-7.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$60.9 A$87.6

28.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$22.22 A$31.97

4.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$14.14 A$20.34

24.12%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$1,952 A$2,808

11.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$12.7K A$18.3K

118.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$83.3 A$120

-3.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$43.69 A$62.9

61.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$113 A$163

-2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$111 A$160

16.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$1,939 A$2,790

27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$1,322 A$1,902

34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$3,408 A$4,904

43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$2,242 A$3,226

37.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$8,271 A$11.9K

62.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$5,920 A$8,518

41.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

$4,183 A$6,020

-2.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.81

1.89%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 25.6% $455

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 24.3% $79

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 3% $8.8

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 80.7% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 10.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 21.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,939 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 3% 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 $90.0 in Sydney versus $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $363 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Brisbane 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
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

Sydney vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 29% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,867 per month in Sydney and $3,777 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.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Sydney, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Sydney and $71.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,245 in Sydney and $2,518 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, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.