Brisbane vs Perth
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Brisbane edges it, 71 to 70, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Neither leads on any factor by 10 points or more. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Subtropical, growing and gearing up for 2032
Full Brisbane profile →Plan a trip to Brisbane →Where they differ
- Getting there & around. Brisbane leads on getting there & around, 38 to 29, against Perth. Non-stop airport destinations: 90 vs 60.
- Climate. Perth leads on climate, 100 to 92, against Brisbane. Comfortable months: 11 vs 12.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, cost of living, air quality, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Brisbane if you want
- to spend about $50 less a month
Pick Perth if you want
- no clear edge over Brisbane in the data
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 25 ✓ | 24 |
| Safety | 82 | 82 |
| Healthcare | 92 | 92 |
| Internet | 70 ✓ | 69 |
| Visa ease | 42 | 42 |
| Getting there & around | 38 ✓ | 29 |
| Climate | 92 | 100 ✓ |
| Air quality | 97 ✓ | 97 |
| Quality of life | 98 | 98 |
Cost
| Metric | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,758 ✓ | $2,808 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,763 | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 0.94 | 0.94 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.3 | 79.3 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 89 | 89 |
| Life expectancy | 83 yrs | 83 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 41.8 Mbps ✓ | 39.2 Mbps |
| Upload | 10.1 Mbps ✓ | 9.9 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 90 ✓ | 60 |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 11 | 12 ✓ |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 6.2 µg/m³ ✓ | 6.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Brisbane or Perth?
- Brisbane is cheaper: about $2,758 per month versus $2,808 for one person.
- Is Brisbane or Perth safer?
- Brisbane and Perth score the same on safety (82), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Brisbane or Perth?
- Brisbane: a measured median of 41.8 Mbps versus 39.2 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Brisbane vs Newcastle (NSW)
- Brisbane vs Sydney
- Perth vs Newcastle (NSW)
- Perth vs Townsville
- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.