Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaughan and Brisbane

For one person, living costs are similar in Vaughan and in Brisbane: $2,554 and $2,520 a month, rent and utilities included.

Vaughan
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,554
/mo nomad
Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,520
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,554 per month in Vaughan vs $2,520 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Vaughan $2,554
  • Brisbane $2,520

A couple spends around $3,726 per month in Vaughan vs $3,730 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Vaughan $3,726
  • Brisbane $3,730

A family of three spends $4,898 per month in Vaughan vs $4,940 in Brisbane, rent included.

  • Vaughan $4,898
  • Brisbane $4,940

Vaughan costs about 1% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Vaughan and Brisbane sit above the global median – Vaughan by 89%, Brisbane by 87%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.73 CA$23.66
$17.58 A$25.29
-4.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.5 CA$95.4
$69.8 A$101
-3.41%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.99 CA$14.13
$11.18 A$16.09
-10.64%
Cappuccino
$3.64 CA$5.15
$4.26 A$6.13
-14.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 CA$2.78
$2.88 A$4.15
-31.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 CA$2.21
$2.50 A$3.60
-37.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.29 CA$8.89
$8.55 A$12.30
-26.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.07 CA$8.58
$8.10 A$11.66
-25.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.62 A$2.33
19.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.26 CA$3.19
$2.66 A$3.83
-15.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.69 CA$3.80
$2.20 A$3.17
22.27%
Eggs
$2.99 CA$4.22
$4.93 A$7.10
-39.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.22 CA$13.03
$9.03 A$12.99
2.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.10 CA$17.10
$9.04 A$13.01
33.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.60 CA$19.22
$13.86 A$19.94
-1.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.41 CA$4.82
$4.11 A$5.92
-17.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$3.00 A$4.32
-58.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.50 CA$4.95
$2.91 A$4.18
20.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.54
$4.87 A$7.01
-34.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.24
$2.74 A$3.95
-41.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 CA$2.25
$2.44 A$3.51
-34.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 CA$3.12
$2.40 A$3.46
-7.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 CA$1.66
$1.22 A$1.76
-4.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.50 CA$17.68
$38.84 A$55.9
-67.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.92 CA$16.85
$12.35 A$17.78
-3.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 CA$2.78
$5.12 A$7.37
-61.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 CA$2.02
$4.90 A$7.04
-70.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.74 CA$3.87
$0.36 A$0.52
661.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$104 CA$147
$20.68 A$29.76
403.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 CA$4.32
$3.05 A$4.39
0.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.19 CA$1.69
$1.77 A$2.55
-32.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.75 CA$30.74
$41.12 A$59.2
-47.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 CA$1.54
$1.45 A$2.08
-24.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.1K CA$34.0K
$26.7K A$38.4K
-9.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.8K CA$26.6K
$27.8K A$39.9K
-32.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$110 CA$156
$159 A$228
-30.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.17 CA$41.24
$25.86 A$37.21
12.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.57 CA$70.1
$60.3 A$86.8
-17.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.67 CA$44.77
$61.9 A$89.1
-48.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.84 CA$29.46
$22.88 A$32.93
-8.92%
Cinema Ticket
$9.76 CA$13.80
$17.41 A$25.06
-43.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$910 CA$1,286
$1,928 A$2,774
-52.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K CA$24.0K
$12.6K A$18.1K
34.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.04 CA$59.4
$84.4 A$121
-50.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.75 CA$52.0
$44.85 A$64.5
-18.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 CA$150
$110 A$159
-3.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 CA$148
$109 A$157
-4.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,669 CA$2,359
$1,927 A$2,773
-13.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,478 CA$2,090
$1,325 A$1,906
11.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,629 CA$3,716
$3,276 A$4,714
-19.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,416 CA$3,415
$2,266 A$3,261
6.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,700 CA$12.3K
$8,315 A$12.0K
4.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,171 CA$8,724
$5,955 A$8,569
3.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vaughan
Brisbane
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,905 CA$4,107
$4,100 A$5,900
-29.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
5.81
-7.23%

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

Last update for Vaughan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vaughan
$1.5K
Brisbane
$1.3K 10.4% $153
Groceries & Markets
Vaughan
$316
Brisbane
$357 13.2% $42
Eating Out
Vaughan
$265
Brisbane
$306 15.3% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vaughan
$189
Brisbane
$245 29.6% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Vaughan
$130
Brisbane
$157 20.5% $27
Getting Around
Vaughan
$124
Brisbane
$34 72.6% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Vaughan
$51
Brisbane
$97 89% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,669 in Vaughan 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 41% 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 $67.0 in Vaughan versus $70.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $357 – making Vaughan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vaughan
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🕒 Local time
14:19 2:19 PM
04:19 4:19 AM
14 h ahead of Vaughan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
323,103
2,287,896
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vaughan Brisbane 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vaughan
  • 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
Vaughan vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Vaughan or Brisbane?
Vaughan costs about 1% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Vaughan and in Brisbane?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,831 per month in Vaughan and $3,781 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Vaughan or Brisbane?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Vaughan or in Brisbane?
Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Vaughan – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in Vaughan and in Brisbane?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Vaughan and $70.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Vaughan or in Brisbane?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,554 in Vaughan and $2,520 in Brisbane. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
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.
How safe is Vaughan compared to Brisbane?
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.
Should I move to Vaughan or to Brisbane?
If budget matters most, go with Brisbane. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vaughan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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