Cost of Living Comparison Between Wells and Surfers Paradise Cost of Living Comparison Between Wells and Surfers Paradise

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,278 per month in Wells vs $1,902 in Surfers Paradise, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,372 per month in Wells vs $3,227 in Surfers Paradise, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,466 per month in Wells vs $4,552 in Surfers Paradise, rent included.

Wells costs about 20% more than Surfers Paradise, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Wells and Surfers Paradise sit above the global median – Wells by 70%, Surfers Paradise by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.44 £20.39

$16.52 A$23.03

66.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 £58.4

$94.5 A$132

-16.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.49 £8.54

$9.89 A$13.78

16.18%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.67

$3.62 A$5.05

36.46%

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

$2.28 £1.70

$2.70 A$3.76

-15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 £1.75

$2.14 A$2.98

9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 £5.42

$6.31 A$8.79

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 £5.20

$7.85 A$10.93

-10.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.54 A$2.14

-0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 £1.00

$2.31 A$3.23

-41.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$2.32 A$3.23

-14.22%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.95

$4.45 A$6.20

-10.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 £7.22

$8.40 A$11.71

15.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 £3.72

$8.21 A$11.44

-39.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 £9.07

$13.31 A$18.55

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 £1.79

$3.52 A$4.91

-31.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 £0.89

$2.72 A$3.78

-55.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 £1.63

$3.42 A$4.77

-35.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$3.83 A$5.34

-22.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 £0.50

$2.46 A$3.43

-72.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 £0.91

$2.39 A$3.33

-48.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 £0.45

$2.20 A$3.07

-72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.29 A$1.80

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.62 £13.10

$31.84 A$44.36

-44.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.22 £6.86

$14.24 A$19.84

-35.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 £1.97

$6.42 A$8.95

-58.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.03

$4.26 A$5.94

-35.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.71 £2.75

$2.06 A$2.87

80.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.2 £63.3

$32.10 A$44.73

165.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 £3.30

$1.97 A$2.75

125.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 £0.77

$1.38 A$1.92

-25.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.28 £23.99

$34.01 A$47.40

-5.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.20 A$1.67

62.50%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$29.1K A$40.5K

31.21%

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

$41.1K £30.6K

$22.4K A$31.2K

83.74%

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

$337 £250

$207 A$288

62.89%

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

$13.83 £10.28

$30.79 A$42.90

-55.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.86 £30.37

$53.5 A$74.5

-23.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.85

$63.3 A$88.2

-15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.75 A$19.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 £6.92

$12.91 A$17.99

-27.89%

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

$1,549 £1,152

$1,595 A$2,223

-2.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$8,770 A$12.2K

107.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.34 £27.75

$70.4 A$98.1

-46.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 £39.15

$47.78 A$66.6

10.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 £45.87

$92.3 A$129

-33.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.5

$98.9 A$138

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 £897

$1,281 A$1,785

-5.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 £749

$715 A$996

41.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 £1,521

$2,414 A$3,363

-15.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 £1,191

$1,742 A$2,428

-8.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,890 £4,378

$6,009 A$8,373

-1.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,938 A$6,881

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,388 A$4,721

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

6.3

-10.79%

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

Last update for Wells: June 1, 2026

Last update for Surfers Paradise: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,206 in Wells versus $1,281 in Surfers Paradise. 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 $79.0 in Wells versus $95.0 in Surfers Paradise. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $247 vs $344 – making Wells the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Wells is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,417 per month in Wells and $2,852 in Surfers Paradise. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 165% less in Surfers Paradise. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,549 per month in Wells and $1,595 in Surfers Paradise. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Surfers Paradise, where all-in costs run around $1,902, than in Wells at $2,278. In Surfers Paradise it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wells it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surfers Paradise – 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 Surfers Paradise. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wells makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.