Brisbane, Australia Cost of Living

Australia is situated in Oceania, a continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.  It has a generally arid to semiarid climate and is temperate in the south and east, while tropical in the north.  The terrain is mostly low plateau with deserts, with fertile plains in the southeast.

Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city and the state capital of Queensland. It has a population of around 1.8 million people and is Australia's fastest growing city.

Brisbane itself has a wonderful outdoor climate and is known as “The Sunshine State”, with Summer temps averaging 29°C (84°F), while winter daytime temps average 21°C (70°F), however be aware it can also rain a lot, as the devastating 2011 floods are testimony to. 

Brisbane's economy is diverse. White-collar industries include information technology, financial services, higher education and public sector administration generally concentrated in and around the central business district and recently established office areas in the inner suburbs. Blue-collar industries, including petroleum refining, stevedoring, paper milling, metalworking and QR railway workshops, tend to be located on the lower reaches of the Brisbane River and in new industrial zones on the urban fringe. Tourism is an important part of the Brisbane economy, both in its own right and as a gateway to other areas of Queensland.

The city is built around Brisbane River where there is a manmade lagoon at South Bank Parklands which offers sunbathing and swimming.  The city is young and vibrant with modern architectural buildings, it is easy to navigate as it is set out in a grid like format.  This is a shoppers’ paradise, with five major shopping centers, two department stores and four shopping arcades. 

The city has a bustling night life with alfresco dining all year round, highlights are the areas of Fortitude Valley and New Farm. There are also a variety of choices of local parks, normally within walking distance of residences and many offer free to use barbeque facilities. In contrast to the compact city living, the suburbs are spacious with wide open acres of land which allow for wonderful outdoor entertainment type living and lie only 40 minutes from the brawling city. Both the SunshineCoast and the Gold Coast are within approximately an hour and a quarter’s drive from Brisbane, which is a major attraction for holiday makers.

Brisbane has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. 

The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco 39 out of 300

Clothing 178 out of 300

Communication 211 out of 300

Education 26 out of 300

Furniture & Appliance 138 out of 300

Grocery 52 out of 300

Healthcare 20 out of 300

Household 41 out of 300

Miscellaneous 173 out of 300

Personal Care 17 out of 300

Recreation and Culture 36 out of 300

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel 44 out of 300

Transport 72 out of 300

Brisbane is ranked as a minimal hardship location with a hardship index of 10%

Steven is Chief Instigator at http://www.xpatulator.com a website that provides cost of living index information and calculates what you need to earn in a different location to compensate for cost of living, hardship, and exchange rate differences. The complete cost of living rank for all 300 locations for all 13 baskets is available here

Australia, Brisbane Cost of Living April 2010

Country Full Name: Commonwealth of Australia.

Location: Australia is in Oceania, a continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean.

Country Climate: Generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north.

Country Terrain: Mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast.

Major Languages: English.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Country Population: 21.6 million (2008 est.) 21.9 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Australia is a prosperous, free market economy dominated by its services sector, representing 68% of Australian GDP. The agricultural and mining sectors (10% of GDP combined) account for 57% of the nation's exports.

Currency: Australian Dollar (AUD).

Country Inflation: 4.4% (2008 est.) 1.6% (2009 est.).

City: Brisbane is the state capital of the Australian state of Queensland and is the largest city in that state. Brisbane is the third most populous city in Australia.

City Economy: Brisbane's economy is diverse. White-collar industries include information technology, financial services, higher education and public sector administration generally concentrated in and around the central business district and recently established office areas in the inner suburbs. Blue-collar industries, including petroleum refining, stevedoring, paper milling, metalworking and QR railway workshops, tend to be located on the lower reaches of the Brisbane River and in new industrial zones on the urban fringe. Tourism is an important part of the Brisbane economy, both in its own right and as a gateway to other areas of Queensland.

Cost of Living:

Brisbane has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups. Brisbane is currently ranked 86 overall, most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live, out of 282 international locations.

For more information on Australia, Brisbane Cost of Living

Brisbane Australia Cost of Living January 2010

LOCATION: Australia is in Oceania, it is the continent between the Indian and South Pacific Oceans.

CAPITAL CITY: Canberra

LARGEST CITY: Sydney

CURRENCY: Australian Dollar (AUD)

BRISBANE: is set close to the Pacific Ocean, and is situated on the Brisbane River in south-eastern Queensland. It is the third largest city in Australia, as well as the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland.

ECONOMY: Australia has a Western-style capitalist economy. Brisbane's economy consists of white collar (including information technology, financial services, higher education and public sector administration) and blue collar (petroleum refining, stevedoring, paper milling, metalworking and QR railway workshops) industries, Tourism also contributes to the economy as a whole.
Brisbane has an overall cost of living index which equates it with middle cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups. Brisbane is currently ranked 96 overall, most expensive place in the world for expatriates to live, out of 276 international locations. The cost of living overview for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs for alcoholic beverages such as alcohol at bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine as well as tobacco products such as cigarettes is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 91 out of 276.

Clothing costs for clothing and footwear products such as business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 166 out of 276.

Communication costs for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract and calls is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 222 out of 276.

Education costs such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 52 out of 276.

Furniture & Appliance costs for furniture, household equipment and household appliances such as dvd player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 183 out of 276.

Grocery costs for food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 117 out of 276.

Healthcare costs for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance such as general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 60 out of 276.

Household costs for housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes such as house / flat mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 69 out of 276.

Miscellaneous costs related to stationary, linen and general goods and services such as domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps is relatively less expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 195 out of 276.

Personal Care costs for personal care products and services such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 37 out of 276.

Recreation and Culture costs such as books, camera film, cinema ticket, DVD and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 113 out of 276.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs such as business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food) is relatively more expensive compared to other cities with a rank of 83 out of 276.

Transport costs for public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance such as hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase is equally expensive on average compared to other cities with a rank of 102 out of 276.

Your exact customized cost of living index for Brisbane is based on which of the above basket groups as well as the comparison location you select in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Brisbane is ranked as a minimal hardship location with a hardship index of 10%.

Your exact customized hardship index premium for Brisbane is based on the comparison location that you select in the Calculators.