Sydney cost of living vs Brisbane
Sydney has annual CPI of 2.9%, 1.8 points below Brisbane's 4.7%, against 3.2% nationally. The biggest gap is housing: +3.7% in Sydney vs +13.2% in Brisbane.
Brisbane cost of livingQuarterly, from the ABS Consumer Price Index.
Where the two cities differ
Annual CPI change by category — Sydney against Brisbane, most recent quarter, widest gaps first.
- Housing+3.7% · +13.2%
- Alcohol and tobacco+4.6% · +6.9%
- Transport+1.3% · -0.7%
- Clothing and footwear+1.9% · +3.5%
- Insurance and financial services+1.9% · +3.2%
- Education+5.4% · +4.7%
- Recreation and culture+2.8% · +2.3%
- Health+4.4% · +4.0%
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages+2.9% · +3.3%
- Furnishings, household equipment and services+0.8% · +0.9%
- Communication+1.9% · +1.8%
Every category, side by side
Annual CPI change for each ABS expenditure group, Sydney against Brisbane, with the gap in percentage points.
| Category | Sydney | Brisbane | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | +3.7% | +13.2% | −9.5 pts |
| Alcohol and tobacco | +4.6% | +6.9% | −2.3 pts |
| Transport | +1.3% | -0.7% | +2.0 pts |
| Clothing and footwear | +1.9% | +3.5% | −1.6 pts |
| Insurance and financial services | +1.9% | +3.2% | −1.3 pts |
| Education | +5.4% | +4.7% | +0.7 pts |
| Recreation and culture | +2.8% | +2.3% | +0.5 pts |
| Health | +4.4% | +4.0% | +0.4 pts |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | +2.9% | +3.3% | −0.4 pts |
| Furnishings, household equipment and services | +0.8% | +0.9% | −0.1 pts |
| Communication | +1.9% | +1.8% | +0.1 pts |
Rent: Sydney against Brisbane
ABS CPI · 2025-Q3The CPI rents index rose 3.3% over the year in Sydney against 4.4% in Brisbane, slower by 1.1 points.
This is how quickly rents are rising, not what they cost. For current Brisbane rent levels by suburb, see Renting in Brisbane.
What the gap means on a household budget
ABS CPI · 2025-Q3Prices in Sydney rose 2.9% over the year against 4.7% in Brisbane. On a household spending $1,500 a week, that 1.8-point gap is about $27 less a week ($1,404 a year) in price growth.
| Household spends | Difference a week | A year |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 a week | −$18 | −$936 |
| $1,500 a week | −$27 | −$1,404 |
| $2,000 a week | −$36 | −$1,872 |
CPI measures how fast prices are changing, not what things cost, so this compares price growth over the year, not the price of living in either city. The weekly amounts are illustrative budgets, not averages.
The headline rate over time
Sydney annual CPI moved from 5.6% in 2023-Q3 to 2.9% in 2025-Q3, against 4.7% nationally most recently.
Show the data table
| Year | Sydney | Brisbane |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-Q3 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| 2023-Q4 | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| 2024-Q1 | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| 2024-Q2 | 3.8% | 3.4% |
| 2024-Q3 | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| 2024-Q4 | 2.4% | 1.8% |
| 2025-Q1 | 2.3% | 2.7% |
| 2025-Q2 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| 2025-Q3 | 2.9% | 4.7% |
Brisbane against other cities
The full side-by-side reads for Sydney and Melbourne, where most movers come from, plus a rent-only read against Queensland's other two big population centres. Every other capital has its own comparison on the Brisbane cost-of-living page.
The full Brisbane picture
Brisbane cost of living has the full category drill-down and every capital-city overlay.