Cost of living comparison
compared to
Brisbane vs. Gold Coast Cost of Living Summary
Brisbane is 0.1% cheaper than Gold Coast.
- Restaurants
-
pay 4.3% less in Brisbane
- Groceries
-
pay 0.7% more in Brisbane
- Transportation
-
pay 3.8% less in Brisbane
- Housing
-
pay 14.6% less in Brisbane
- Childcare
-
pay 17.5% more in Brisbane
- Entertainment and Sports
-
pay 5.8% more in Brisbane
- Clothing
-
pay 2.3% less in Brisbane
The cost of childcare, entertainment and sports, and groceries in Brisbane are more expensive than in Gold Coast. Expenses including housing, restaurants, transportation, and clothing are lower in Brisbane.
Brisbane vs. Gold Coast Cost Breakdown
If you lived in Brisbane instead of Gold Coast, you would:
pay 4.3% less for restaurants
|
Gold Coast
|
Brisbane
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant |
$17.99
A$27.04
|
$16.34
A$24.57
|
|
|
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
|
$9.81
A$14.75
|
$10.46
A$15.72
|
|
| Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) |
$2.78
A$4.18
|
$2.66
A$3.99
|
|
| Bottle of water (11 fl. oz) |
$2.34
A$3.51
|
$2.10
A$3.16
|
|
Gold Coast vs. Brisbane - Cost of restaurants
pay 0.7% more for groceries
|
Gold Coast
|
Brisbane
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Bread
1 loaf
|
$2.58
A$3.88
|
$2.29
A$3.44
|
|
| Local cheese (8 oz) |
$3.78
A$5.69
|
$4.44
A$6.68
|
|
| Milk (1 gallon) |
$5.29
A$7.96
|
$5.66
A$8.51
|
|
|
Eggs
1 dozen
|
$4.68
A$7.04
|
$4.52
A$6.79
|
|
| Boneless chicken breast (1 lb) |
$4.04
A$6.07
|
$3.72
A$5.59
|
|
| Apples (1 lb) |
$1.62
A$2.44
|
$1.54
A$2.32
|
|
| Bananas (1 lb) |
$1.29
A$1.94
|
$1.30
A$1.95
|
|
| Oranges (1 lb) |
$1.68
A$2.53
|
$1.29
A$1.94
|
|
| Tomatoes (1 lb) |
$1.78
A$2.67
|
$2.12
A$3.19
|
|
| Potatoes (1 lb) |
$1.04
A$1.56
|
$1.17
A$1.76
|
|
| Onions (1 lb) |
$1.06
A$1.59
|
$1.07
A$1.61
|
|
Gold Coast vs. Brisbane - Cost of groceries
pay 3.8% less for transportation
|
Gold Coast
|
Brisbane
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
$4.42
A$6.64
|
$4.61
A$6.93
|
|
| Monthly public transit pass |
$52.33
A$78.67
|
$26.15
A$39.31
|
|
| New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) |
$29,060.36
A$43,686.64
|
$29,041.09
A$43,657.68
|
|
| Taxi trip in downtown area (5 miles) |
$14.01
A$21.06
|
$18.30
A$27.52
|
|
Gold Coast vs. Brisbane - Cost of transportation
pay 14.6% less for housing
|
Gold Coast
|
Brisbane
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
|
$55.20
A$82.98
|
$53.31
A$80.14
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area |
$1,818.60
A$2,733.92
|
$1,624.05
A$2,441.44
|
|
| 1-Bedroom apartment outside city center |
$1,341.06
A$2,016.02
|
$1,213.58
A$1,824.38
|
|
|
Utilities for two
(700 sq ft apartment)
including electric, gas, water, heating
|
$169.08
A$254.19
|
$110.43
A$166.00
|
|
Gold Coast vs. Brisbane - Cost of housing
pay 17.5% more for childcare
|
Gold Coast
|
Brisbane
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Private preschool for 1 child, monthly |
$2,150.05
A$3,232.19
|
$1,788.09
A$2,688.05
|
|
| Middle school for 1 child, two semesters |
$7,156.66
A$10,758.66
|
$10,858.30
A$16,323.35
|
|
Gold Coast vs. Brisbane - Cost of childcare
pay 5.8% more for entertainment and sports
|
Gold Coast
|
Brisbane
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic/local beer (1 pint) |
$6.54
A$9.83
|
$6.86
A$10.32
|
|
| Cappuccino in mid-range area |
$3.52
A$5.29
|
$3.67
A$5.51
|
|
|
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
|
$32.05
A$48.19
|
$32.69
A$49.14
|
|
| Monthly membership at local gym |
$38.60
A$58.02
|
$45.54
A$68.47
|
|
| Movie ticket to theater/cinema |
$13.08
A$19.67
|
$13.07
A$19.66
|
|
Gold Coast vs. Brisbane - Cost of entertainment and sports
pay 2.3% less for clothing
|
Gold Coast
|
Brisbane
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
|
$60.84
A$91.46
|
$70.91
A$106.61
|
|
|
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
|
$48.28
A$72.58
|
$41.61
A$62.56
|
|
|
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
|
$90.28
A$135.71
|
$94.19
A$141.60
|
|
| Men's business shoes (leather) |
$124.29
A$186.85
|
$103.97
A$156.31
|
|
Gold Coast vs. Brisbane - Cost of clothing
The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you.
We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world.
Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: December 2025
Change currency:
Help us improve these prices
MyLifeElsewhere is a collaborative project. Please enter price information for your location to help assist us in making these comparisons more accurate.
Learn more
ASK THE ELSEWHERE COMMUNITY
Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Brisbane or Gold Coast. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.