Cost of Living Comparison Between Gold Coast and Brisbane 

Indices DifferenceInfo
Cost of Living in Brisbane is 5.4% lower than in Gold Coast (excluding rent)
Cost of Living Including Rent in Brisbane is 4.9% lower than in Gold Coast
Rent Prices in Brisbane are 3.7% lower than in Gold Coast
Restaurant Prices in Brisbane are 11.5% lower than in Gold Coast
Groceries Prices in Brisbane are 1.2% lower than in Gold Coast
Local Purchasing Power in Brisbane is 10.8% higher than in Gold Coast
Currency: Sticky Currency      Switch to metric measurement units
Restaurants
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit Difference
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant 28.75 A$ 25.00 A$      -13.0 %
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks) 150.00 A$ 105.00 A$      -30.0 %
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal) 15.00 A$ 16.50 A$      +10.0 %
Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint) 11.00 A$ 12.00 A$      +9.1 %
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 11.00 A$ 12.00 A$      +9.1 %
Cappuccino (Regular Size) 5.44 A$ 6.11 A$      +12.2 %
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle) 4.06 A$ 4.18 A$      +3.0 %
Bottled Water (12 oz) 3.45 A$ 3.75 A$      +8.8 %
Markets
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
Milk (Regular, 1 Liter) 2.27 A$ 2.37 A$      +4.4 %
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf) 3.64 A$ 3.38 A$      -7.2 %
White Rice (1 lb) 1.54 A$ 1.48 A$      -4.3 %
Eggs (12, Large Size) 7.02 A$ 7.05 A$      +0.5 %
Local Cheese (1 lb) 5.63 A$ 5.98 A$      +6.3 %
Chicken Fillets (1 lb) 6.10 A$ 5.71 A$      -6.4 %
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb) 9.55 A$ 9.64 A$      +1.0 %
Apples (1 lb) 2.52 A$ 2.56 A$      +1.7 %
Bananas (1 lb) 2.02 A$ 2.03 A$      +0.4 %
Oranges (1 lb) 2.21 A$ 2.06 A$      -7.0 %
Tomatoes (1 lb) 2.74 A$ 3.66 A$      +33.5 %
Potatoes (1 lb) 1.67 A$ 1.80 A$      +8.3 %
Onions (1 lb) 1.61 A$ 1.66 A$      +2.7 %
Lettuce (1 Head) 3.56 A$ 3.68 A$      +3.4 %
Bottled Water (50 oz) 3.36 A$ 2.61 A$      -22.1 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) 20.00 A$ 20.00 A$      0.0 %
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle) 8.38 A$ 7.48 A$      -10.7 %
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle) 9.64 A$ 6.72 A$      -30.3 %
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro) 52.00 A$ 50.00 A$      -3.8 %
Transportation
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
One-Way Ticket (Local Transport) 3.98 A$ 0.50 A$      -87.4 %
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price) 80.00 A$ 30.00 A$      -62.5 %
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff) 3.10 A$ 4.00 A$      +29.0 %
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff) 3.69 A$ 4.22 A$      +14.4 %
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff) 51.60 A$ 58.80 A$      +14.0 %
Gasoline (1 Liter) 1.80 A$ 1.96 A$      +9.3 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car) 38,690.00 A$ 40,995.00 A$      +6.0 %
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car) 47,800.08 A$ 36,783.16 A$      -23.0 %
Utilities (Monthly)
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) 311.81 A$ 249.49 A$      -20.0 %
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data) 48.59 A$ 39.23 A$      -19.3 %
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher) 79.56 A$ 88.20 A$      +10.9 %
Sports And Leisure
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership 58.75 A$ 85.63 A$      +45.7 %
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend) 24.55 A$ 29.35 A$      +19.6 %
Cinema Ticket (International Release) 20.00 A$ 20.00 A$      0.0 %
Childcare
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child 2,981.00 A$ 3,148.70 A$      +5.6 %
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child 17,006.40 A$ 18,040.80 A$      +6.1 %
Clothing And Shoes
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar) 109.29 A$ 112.68 A$      +3.1 %
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M) 77.84 A$ 70.20 A$      -9.8 %
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) 148.28 A$ 168.33 A$      +13.5 %
Men's Leather Business Shoes 175.08 A$ 169.73 A$      -3.1 %
Rent Per Month
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 3,162.50 A$ 2,634.08 A$      -16.7 %
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 2,045.71 A$ 1,911.40 A$      -6.6 %
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre 4,038.89 A$ 4,606.36 A$      +14.1 %
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre 3,571.43 A$ 3,186.43 A$      -10.8 %
Buy Apartment Price
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre 1,005.20 A$ 1,052.87 A$      +4.7 %
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 652.17 A$ 706.30 A$      +8.3 %
Salaries And Financing
Gold Coast Edit Brisbane Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) 5,738.36 A$ 6,047.14 A$      +5.4 %
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %) 5.73 5.90      +2.9 %
Last update: 6 April 202612 April 2026
Contributors in the past 12 months:31165