Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Brisbane vs Dunedin

Brisbane vs Dunedin

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Brisbane 9% cheaper Dunedin +95 Mbps Moderate / High

Brisbane

Brisbane Local Marketing/Unsplash

Dunedin

Boris Baldinger/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,933

Brisbane

$4,344

Dunedin

Internet

Mbps

175

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Brisbane

High

Dunedin

Air Quality

5/5

Brisbane

5/5

Dunedin

Healthcare

Low

Brisbane

Low

Dunedin

Population

2.1m

Brisbane

127.0k

Dunedin

Brisbane (Australia) and Dunedin (New Zealand) are both in Oceania, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Brisbane has a modest cost advantage at $3933/mo versus Dunedin's $4344/mo, a 9% difference that adds up over a longer stay.

For families, Brisbane costs $5772.041877764273/mo compared to Dunedin's $3509.297276669315/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Dunedin leads on internet connectivity at 175 Mbps (ranked #0 globally) versus Brisbane's 80 Mbps (#0). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Dunedin has a stronger safety profile than Brisbane, which may be a deciding factor for solo travelers or families.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Brisbane and Dunedin.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Brisbane is September (around 27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 431), while Dunedin peaks in January (21 degrees, 1mm rain, score 369). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

BrisbaneDunedin

Nomad$3,933/mo$4,344/mo

Expat$2,665/mo$2,277/mo

Local$1,649/mo$1,003/mo

Family$5,772/mo$3,509/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

BrisbaneDunedin

City Speed

80 Mbps

175 Mbps

Country Speed80 Mbps175 Mbps

Environment & Health

BrisbaneDunedin

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionLowLow

ClimateHighN/A

Humidity6871

Quality of Life

BrisbaneDunedin

SafetyModerateHigh

HealthcareLowLow

Monthly Weather Comparison

Brisbane

Dunedin

Jan

34°

3mm267

21°

1mm369

Feb

34°

2mm349

19°

0mm349

Mar

29°

1mm359

15°

2mm344

Apr

28°

1mm405

14°

0mm359

May

23°

1mm382

7°

1mm339

Jun

20°

0mm411

9°

0mm358

Jul

18°

0mm401

8°

0mm361

Aug

22°

0mm411

11°

0mm348

Sep

27°

0mm431

11°

1mm337

Oct

28°

1mm416

14°

1mm311

Nov

32°

2mm369

17°

1mm349

Dec

34°

3mm359

20°

4mm291

Who Should Choose Brisbane?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Major city energy with 2.1m residents
Peak season in September — 27 degrees, score 431

Who Should Choose Dunedin?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 175 Mbps
High safety rating for peace of mind
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 127.0k residents
Peak season in January — 21 degrees, score 369

Overall Verdict

Overall, Dunedin edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $4344/mo it runs 9% cheaper than Brisbane's $3933/mo, with 175 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Brisbane Dunedin

ItemBrisbaneDunedinDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$13.59$20.85

35%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$67.96$75

McMeal or equivalent combo$8.83$7.7

13%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.34$3.12

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$6.12$6.09

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$6.12$6

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$2.5$2.35

Water (0.33L)$1.96$1.71

13%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.32$1.78

26%

White bread (500g)$2.11$1.8

15%

White rice (1kg)$1.95$1.89

Eggs (12)$3.23$4.89

34%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$7.65$7.03

Beef round (1kg)$13.62$13.95

Local cheese (1kg)$7.55$10.81

30%

Apples (1kg)$3.01$2.83

Bananas (1kg)$2.4$2.11

12%

Oranges (1kg)$2.7$2.97

Tomatoes (1kg)$4.35$1.86

57%

Potatoes (1kg)$2.25$2.21

Onions (1kg)$1.94$1.58

19%

Lettuce (1 head)$2.65$2.73

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.7$1.35

21%

Wine, mid-range bottle$11.55$12

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$3.61$2.89

20%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.29$3.85

10%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$27.18$25.5

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$3.57$1.8

50%

Monthly transport pass$134.56$28.86

79%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3.4$2.08

39%

Taxi per 1km$1.47$2.18

33%

Taxi 1hr waiting$33.44$38.48

13%

Gasoline (1L)$1.38$1.81

24%

Volkswagen Golf (new)$21,746.55$25,014.59

13%

Toyota Corolla (new)$19,223.04$30,466.49

37%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$143.1$118.66

17%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$51.29$50.83

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.38$0.29

24%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$41.84$51.15

18%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$14.1$6.41

55%

Cinema, 1 ticket$12.23$9.62

21%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$1,380.4$641.4

54%

International primary school/yr$7,384.76—

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$72.56$70.55

Summer dress (chain store)$42.17$38.48

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$107.32$91.93

14%

Men's leather business shoes$110.19$141.11

22%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,332.28$630.18

53%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,030.16$297.61

71%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$2,163.03$1,844.02

15%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,438.11$1,230.69

14%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$6,667.65$3,207

52%

Price per m², outside centre$4,048.6$1,924.2

52%

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$4,082.97$4,927.66

17%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3.67$3.14

14%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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