Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Topeka, KS: $1,901 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,901

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,901 per month in Topeka, KS vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Topeka, KS $1,901
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $2,863 per month in Topeka, KS vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Topeka, KS $2,863
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $3,825 per month in Topeka, KS vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Topeka, KS $3,825
Brisbane $4,922

Topeka, KS is about 25% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Topeka, KS and Brisbane sit above the global median – Topeka, KS by 40%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.27 $13.27

$17.39 A$25.02

-23.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.2 $51.2

$70.9 A$102

-27.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$11.09 A$15.95

-9.56%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$4.43 A$6.38

-23.25%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.90 A$4.17

-18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.43 A$3.49

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 $4.46

$8.42 A$12.12

-47.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$8.31 A$11.96

6.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.67 A$2.40

-48.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.72 A$3.92

-0.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.29 A$3.29

28.38%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$4.82 A$6.94

-15.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$9.06 A$13.03

-1.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$9.18 A$13.21

-10.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$14.21 A$20.45

6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$4.31 A$6.20

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.04 A$4.38

-47.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.00 A$4.32

71.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.75 A$6.84

-13.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.72 A$3.92

27.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.34 A$3.37

11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.42 A$3.48

-23.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.19 A$1.71

-32.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$38.67 A$55.7

-76.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$12.66 A$18.21

-4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$5.40 A$7.77

-65.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$5.13 A$7.38

-67.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 $3.91

$0.37 A$0.53

956.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

$20.72 A$29.81

139.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.92 A$4.20

-7.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.86 A$2.68

-18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.60 $33.60

$41.05 A$59.1

-18.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.40 A$2.01

-37.14%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$29.7K A$42.8K

-11.44%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.0K A$37.4K

1.35%

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

$145 $145

$159 A$229

-8.58%

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

$47.02 $47.02

$26.52 A$38.16

77.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 $65.0

$60.6 A$87.2

7.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.11 $44.11

$60.9 A$87.6

-27.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 $15.09

$22.22 A$31.97

-32.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 $13.38

$14.14 A$20.34

-5.37%

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

$434 $434

$1,952 A$2,808

-77.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.71 $38.71

$83.3 A$120

-53.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.08 $28.08

$43.69 A$62.9

-35.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$113 A$163

-20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 $80.4

$111 A$160

-27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$792 $792

$1,939 A$2,790

-59.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$835 $835

$1,322 A$1,902

-36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$3,408 A$4,904

-62.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

$2,242 A$3,226

-33.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,443 $1,443

$8,271 A$11.9K

-82.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,334 $1,334

$5,920 A$8,518

-77.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,708 $3,708

$4,183 A$6,020

-11.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

5.81

7.40%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$835 43.9%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 58.3% $487

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$322 16.9%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 12.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.5%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 4.4% $11

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.3%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 30.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.6%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 48.2% $51

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$75 4%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 54.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$71 3.7%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 25.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $792 in Topeka, KS 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 13% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Topeka, KS versus $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $363 – making Topeka, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

05:49 5:49 AM

20:49 8:49 PM

15 h ahead of Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

2,287,896

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Topeka, KS Brisbane 13,650 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
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

Topeka, KS vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 32% more than Topeka, KS, 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 $2,851 per month in Topeka, KS 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 Topeka, KS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Brisbane, 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 $51.0 in Topeka, KS and $71.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Topeka, KS, where all-in costs run around $1,901, than in Brisbane at $2,518. In Topeka, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Topeka, KS – 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 Topeka, KS. 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.