Consumer price index · Sydney vs Brisbane
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.
← Back to Brisbane cost of livingQuarterly release, sourced from the ABS Consumer Price Index.
Sydney annual CPI
2.9%
▲ from 1.9% last quarter
Latest quarter
Brisbane annual CPI
4.7%
▲ from 2.5% last quarter
Latest quarter
Gap vs Brisbane
-1.8 pts
Sydney lower
Headline CPI
National figure
3.2%
Above national
Weighted average, 8 capitals
Brisbane vs other capitals
Side-by-side CPI comparison against Brisbane, category by category.
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%
Sydney BrisbaneTrack spans −10% to +10%; larger moves are clamped.
Headline CPI over time
Sydney against Brisbane, annual change.
2023-Q32024-Q32025-Q3
Sydney annual CPI moved from 5.6% in 2023-Q3 to 2.9% in 2025-Q3, against 4.7% nationally most recently.
Show 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% |
Looking for the full Brisbane picture? Brisbane cost of living has the category drill-down and the basket calculator.