Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Townsville and in Brisbane: $2,606 and $2,644 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
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Townsville Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,606

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,606 per month in Townsville vs $2,644 in Brisbane, rent included.

Townsville $2,606
Brisbane $2,644

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Townsville vs $3,821 in Brisbane, rent included.

Townsville $3,842
Brisbane $3,821

A family of three spends $5,078 per month in Townsville vs $4,999 in Brisbane, rent included.

Townsville $5,078
Brisbane $4,999

Townsville and Brisbane have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Townsville and Brisbane sit above the global median – Townsville by 93%, Brisbane by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.82 A$32.52

$17.81 A$25.38

28.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 A$100

$85.4 A$122

-17.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.33

$11.28 A$16.07

7.80%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.10

$4.45 A$6.34

-19.55%

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

$2.64 A$3.76

$2.80 A$4.00

-5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.52

$2.45 A$3.49

0.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.53 A$12.16

$8.60 A$12.26

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.27

$8.36 A$11.92

-13.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.53

$1.76 A$2.50

0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 A$3.23

$2.57 A$3.66

-11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 A$1.94

$2.18 A$3.11

-37.61%

Eggs

$5.23 A$7.45

$4.95 A$7.05

5.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 A$11.63

$9.58 A$13.65

-14.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 A$14.09

$9.01 A$12.84

9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 A$19.06

$14.00 A$19.95

-4.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 A$5.89

$4.21 A$6.00

-1.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.85

$3.18 A$4.53

-15.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 A$5.10

$2.79 A$3.98

28.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 A$6.11

$4.83 A$6.88

-11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.76

$2.80 A$4.00

-5.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.07

$2.36 A$3.36

20.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.28

$2.36 A$3.36

-2.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 A$4.64

$1.19 A$1.69

173.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$43.58

$39.08 A$55.7

-21.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 A$15.26

$12.84 A$18.29

-16.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.88

$5.27 A$7.52

31.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 A$12.17

$4.91 A$6.99

73.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 A$3.01

$0.36 A$0.51

486.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 A$78.7

$21.39 A$30.48

158.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 A$3.74

$2.61 A$3.71

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 A$2.91

$1.88 A$2.68

8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.02 A$62.7

$41.67 A$59.4

5.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.76

$1.48 A$2.10

-16.22%

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

$28.1K A$40.1K

$29.0K A$41.3K

-2.96%

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

$27.8K A$39.7K

$25.9K A$36.9K

7.46%

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

$383 A$545

$160 A$228

139.62%

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

$36.42 A$51.9

$26.65 A$37.98

36.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 A$94.1

$61.2 A$87.3

7.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$78.9

$61.1 A$87.0

-9.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 A$28.11

$22.66 A$32.28

-12.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 A$21.71

$14.15 A$20.16

7.63%

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

$2,084 A$2,970

$1,982 A$2,824

5.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.5K

$26.8K A$38.2K

-54.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 A$132

$85.1 A$121

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 A$99.9

$46.37 A$66.1

51.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 A$233

$111 A$158

47.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$110 A$156

20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 A$1,832

$1,957 A$2,789

-34.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 A$1,460

$1,441 A$2,054

-28.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 A$3,296

$3,481 A$4,960

-33.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 A$2,630

$2,234 A$3,183

-17.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,976 A$7,091

$9,571 A$13.6K

-48.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,112 A$5,860

$6,938 A$9,887

-40.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,066 A$5,794

$4,134 A$5,891

-1.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

5.84

-2.74%

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

Last update for Townsville: November 3, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Townsville

$1K 39.3%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 40.6% $417

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Townsville

$485 18.6%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 49% $238

Groceries & Markets

Townsville

$389 14.9%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 6.9% $27

Eating Out

Townsville

$340 13%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 8.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Townsville

$206 7.9%

Brisbane

$158 6% 23.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Townsville

$86 3.3%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 4.1% $3.5

Getting Around

Townsville

$77 2.9%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 54.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,286 in Townsville 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Townsville versus $85 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Townsville vs $362 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Townsville

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

02:15 2:15 AM

Same time as Townsville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,724

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Townsville Brisbane 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Townsville
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

Townsville vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,910 per month in Townsville 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 Townsville, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,286 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

Kindergarten costs $2,084 per month in Townsville and $1,982 in Brisbane. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,606 in Townsville and $2,644 in Brisbane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,606 in Townsville 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.