The 2026 Greater Brisbane Suburb Running Cost Index
A house in Jimna, on Brisbane's rural fringe, costs $24,410 per year in council rates, water, driving, and insurance. A house in Brisbane City costs $5,237. The gap between the most and least expensive suburb to run a home in Greater Brisbane is $19,173 every year, or $191,730 over a decade. Most buyers never calculate this before signing a contract. We did it for 514 suburbs.
This index measures running costs only. It does not include the purchase price of the property, which differs significantly between suburbs and is, for most buyers, the largest financial consideration of all. A suburb that ranks as cheap to run may carry a high purchase price, or vice versa. Both matter. This index covers the part most property searches leave out.
A house in Jimna, on Brisbane's rural fringe, costs $24,410 a year to run; a house in Brisbane City costs $5,237. Ranking 514 Greater Brisbane suburbs by council rates, water, commute and insurance, the gap between cheapest and most expensive is $19,173 a year, driven mostly by modelled driving cost, not council rates.
Key statistics
- Suburbs ranked
- 514
- Most expensive
- Jimna / Kingaham, $24,410/yr
- Cheapest
- Brisbane City, $5,237/yr
- Cost gap
- $19,173/yr
- Mean cost
- $11,420 house / $11,425 unit
Methodology
Each suburb's total is council rates (2026-27, from each council's own schedule), water and sewerage (Queensland Urban Utilities or Unitywater, 2025-26), a modelled annual driving cost to the Brisbane CBD priced at the ATO's 88c/km rate and tapering from 4 return trips a week near the CBD to a floor of 0.5 by about 70km (the same formula used across our Sydney research; see the Greater Sydney Running Cost Index methodology for the reasoning), and AI-estimated home insurance based on flood risk, fire risk and suburb type. Body corporate levy is added for unit suburbs. Mortgage repayments, rent, food, personal spending and land tax are not included.
Key findings at a glance
- The most expensive house suburb costs 4.7 times more per year to run than the cheapest
- Modelled driving cost is the dominant variable. It determines the ranking more than council rates, water, or insurance combined
- Inside the commutable footprint (roughly 40km of the CBD), the most expensive houses are flood-exposed suburbs like North Ipswich, where building insurance is estimated at $5,500 a year
- The cheapest houses are all inner BCC suburbs where modelled driving costs approach zero
- Houses and units cost almost identically on average: $11,420 vs $11,425 per year
- The unit council rate saving ($540/year in BCC) is absorbed by body corporate levies in every suburb ranked
- Purchase price is not included. The suburbs cheapest to run are often the most expensive to buy. Running costs and purchase price are separate decisions that pull in different directions.
What this index measures, and what it does not
The SuburbCost Running Cost Index covers four annual costs for every suburb: council rates, water and sewerage, annual driving cost, and home insurance. For unit suburbs, body corporate levy is included. These are the costs that vary by suburb and that most buyers underestimate.
What this index does not include: purchase price
Property purchase price is not in this index, and that omission is intentional, not an oversight. Purchase price is the number every property portal already shows. Running costs are what almost none of them show.
The two figures pull in opposite directions for most Brisbane suburbs. Brisbane City sits at the bottom of this ranking at $5,237 per year to run a house. It also has some of the highest median house prices in Queensland. A rural fringe suburb like Jimna ranks as the most expensive to run at $24,410 per year, yet properties there sell for a fraction of inner-city prices.
Buyers who look only at purchase price underestimate how much the running cost gap compounds over time. A $19,173 annual difference in running costs is $191,730 over ten years, real money that doesn't appear on any listing page. This index exists to make that number visible before, not after, the purchase decision.
The index does not include mortgage repayments, rent, food, personal spending, utilities, or land tax. It covers the costs that differ between suburbs, not the costs that are the same regardless of where you live.
Data covers 514 Greater Brisbane suburbs across five council areas: Brisbane City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Logan City Council, Ipswich City Council, and Redland City Council. Council rates are the adopted 2026-27 figures; water and driving use the current 2025-26 schedules. Check your suburb's full breakdown in the SuburbCost tool →
Four assumptions this data makes
This index is built on real government data supplemented by two estimated components. Read these before drawing conclusions from the rankings.
1. Driving is the only commute mode
All commute costs use the driving calculation only. This index does not model public transport. Translink's flat 50 cent fare produces a $192 annual PT commute cost for every Queensland suburb, identical regardless of distance. If you commute by train, the ranking changes substantially in favour of outer suburbs. The SuburbCost comparison tool shows both modes with a toggle.
2. Driving cost is a modelled CBD commute, not total car ownership
Driving cost is a modelled annual cost of commuting to the Brisbane CBD by car. It is calculated from each suburb's road distance to the CBD, priced as a return trip at the ATO's rate of 88 cents per kilometre across a working year, with trip frequency tapering from 4 return trips a week near the CBD down to a floor of 0.5 by about 70km (a long-distance commuter is assumed to drive in far fewer days per week than someone in the inner ring). Suburbs beyond 100km from the CBD are capped at a flat $17,600 a year instead of a tapered commute figure.
The ATO 88 cent rate is all-inclusive: it covers fuel, registration, insurance, depreciation, and maintenance for an average Australian vehicle. It is not a fuel cost alone. That is why an inner-city suburb like Brisbane City shows only $34 (a negligible commute) while the rural fringe hits the cap.
This figure isolates the cost of the CBD commute, the single expense that varies most by suburb. It does not attempt to model every kilometre a household drives for shopping, school, or leisure. If you commute by train instead, the ranking shifts substantially in favour of outer suburbs; the SuburbCost tool lets you toggle between driving and public transport.
3. Home insurance is AI-estimated
Building insurance premiums are estimated using an AI model that incorporates each suburb's flood risk classification, fire risk classification, cyclone exposure, and property type. The estimates are validated against comparison site quotes but are not exact. Every insurance figure in this index is labelled as an estimate. Get an exact quote from a comparison site for your specific property address before purchasing.
4. Body corporate is AI-estimated for unit suburbs
Body corporate levies are estimated based on building age, suburb type, and location. Actual levies vary significantly between buildings in the same suburb. Always confirm the body corporate levy, sinking fund balance, and capital works plan directly with the body corporate before purchasing a unit.
Most expensive suburbs to run a house, Greater Brisbane 2025-26
All ten of the most expensive house suburbs are on the rural fringe of the Moreton Bay and Ipswich council areas, where the modelled CBD driving cost hits the $17,600 cap. At that distance, driving alone is more than three times the combined cost of council rates, water, and insurance. Insurance (from $2,200 to $3,100 for these bushfire-exposed hinterland suburbs) only reorders the suburbs within the group; it does not put them there. Distance does.
| Rank | Suburb | Council | Rates | Water | Driving | Insurance | Total / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimna | Moreton Bay | $1,636 | $2,074 | $17,600 | $3,100 | $24,410 |
| 2 | Kingaham | Moreton Bay | $1,636 | $2,074 | $17,600 | $3,100 | $24,410 |
| 3 | Monsildale | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $3,100 | $23,822 |
| 4 | Mount Stanley | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $3,100 | $23,822 |
| 5 | Avoca Vale | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $3,000 | $23,722 |
| 6 | Linville | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $2,800 | $23,522 |
| 7 | Benarkin | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $2,400 | $23,122 |
| 8 | Benarkin North | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $2,400 | $23,122 |
| 9 | Cherry Creek | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $2,200 | $22,922 |
| 10 | Nukku | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $2,200 | $22,922 |
Source: Individual council rate schedules 2026-27, QUU / Unitywater 2025-26, ATO 88c/km, SuburbCost AI insurance estimates.
The flood-insurance finding. Not every expensive suburb is remote. The coastal Logan suburbs of Woongoolba, Norwell, and Jacobs Well sit 41-48km south of Brisbane, a moderate commute, yet still cost $15,300 to $15,600 a year to run a house, close behind the rural-fringe suburbs at the very top of this list. The reason is insurance: an estimated $5,200 a year, nearly three times the $1,800 estimate for a low-risk inner suburb, because they sit on low-lying land adjacent to Moreton Bay with documented flood exposure. Inside the commutable footprint, the single most expensive house suburb is North Ipswich at $14,915, where insurance is estimated at $5,500, followed closely by Ipswich itself at $14,753. Distance drives the top of the ranking; flood risk drives everything just below it.
The cheapest Brisbane suburbs to run a house in 2025-26
All ten cheapest house suburbs are in Brisbane City Council's inner ring, where the modelled CBD driving cost stays under $900. Brisbane City itself shows a driving cost of just $34 per year, residents in the city centre can walk or use public transport for most trips, with minimal car use. Council rates and water charges are identical to every other BCC suburb ($1,579 and $1,824 respectively), so the commute cost is the only variable separating inner from outer.
| Rank | Suburb | Council | Rates | Water | Driving | Insurance | Total / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane City | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $34 | $1,800 | $5,237 |
| 2 | Spring Hill | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $399 | $1,800 | $5,602 |
| 3 | South Brisbane | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $367 | $1,900 | $5,670 |
| 4 | Petrie Terrace | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $465 | $1,900 | $5,768 |
| 5 | Kangaroo Point | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $465 | $1,900 | $5,768 |
| 6 | Fortitude Valley | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $595 | $1,800 | $5,798 |
| 7 | Highgate Hill | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $691 | $1,800 | $5,894 |
| 8 | Herston | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $787 | $1,750 | $5,940 |
| 9 | Kelvin Grove | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $882 | $1,700 | $5,985 |
| 10 | New Farm | BCC | $1,579 | $1,824 | $691 | $1,900 | $5,994 |
Source: Brisbane City Council 2026-27, Queensland Urban Utilities 2025-26, ATO 88c/km, SuburbCost AI insurance estimates.
The fixed cost floor. Every BCC house pays $3,403 per year in council rates and water before a single kilometre is driven, and no Greater Brisbane suburb sits far below that. That floor is much the same in Spring Hill as it is in Ipswich. The only way to push total running costs below about $5,300 per year is to live somewhere with almost no car use. The cheapest list is, in effect, a list of the suburbs where residents can plausibly go carless.
Running costs vs purchase price. The suburbs cheapest to run are among the most expensive to buy. A house in Brisbane City or South Brisbane costs around $5,200 to $5,700 per year to run, but median house prices in these suburbs are well above $1 million. The suburbs cheapest on this list were not chosen for their affordability as a purchase. They rank here because driving costs are near zero. A buyer who prioritises running costs while ignoring purchase price is solving for the wrong variable first. This index fills the information gap on running costs; the purchase price decision is yours to make separately, with full knowledge of both numbers.
Most expensive suburbs to run a unit, Greater Brisbane 2025-26
The unit ranking is dominated by the same rural Ipswich corridor suburbs. For units in rural areas, the modelled driving cost still hits the $17,600 cap, the property type does not change the distance to the CBD. Units in these suburbs carry only modest body corporate levies ($1,500 to $1,600) compared to urban apartment buildings, because the buildings are simpler, so the driving cost dominates the total exactly as it does for houses.
| Rank | Suburb | Council | Rates | Water | Driving | Insurance | Strata | Total / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimna | Moreton Bay | $1,651 | $2,074 | $17,600 | $700 | $1,500 | $23,525 |
| 2 | Kingaham | Moreton Bay | $1,651 | $2,074 | $17,600 | $690 | $1,500 | $23,515 |
| 3 | Mount Stanley | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $700 | $1,600 | $23,022 |
| 4 | Monsildale | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $710 | $1,500 | $22,932 |
| 5 | Avoca Vale | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $680 | $1,500 | $22,902 |
| 6 | Cherry Creek | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $560 | $1,600 | $22,882 |
| 7 | Mount Binga | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $520 | $1,600 | $22,842 |
| 8 | Blackbutt | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $480 | $1,600 | $22,802 |
| 9 | Blackbutt North | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $480 | $1,600 | $22,802 |
| 10 | Blackbutt South | Ipswich | $1,298 | $1,824 | $17,600 | $475 | $1,600 | $22,797 |
Cheapest suburbs to run a unit, Greater Brisbane 2025-26
The cheapest units are inner and mid-ring BCC suburbs, and the body corporate levy, not the commute, sets the order. Every suburb on this list shares the same $1,039 BCC unit council rate and the same $1,824 water charge, and all have low modelled driving costs. What separates them is strata: mid-ring suburbs like Annerley carry lower body corporate levies ($2,800) than the newer inner-city buildings with lifts, pools, and common areas ($3,200 to $3,500).
Annerley at $7,700 per year is the cheapest unit suburb in Greater Brisbane by this measure, $126 ahead of Norman Park in second place. Its edge is not its commute (at $1,557, its driving cost is actually higher than most of the suburbs below it) but its lower body corporate levy, which more than offsets the difference.
| Rank | Suburb | Council | Rates | Water | Driving | Insurance | Strata | Total / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Annerley | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,525 | $480 | $2,800 | $7,668 |
| 2 | Norman Park | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,223 | $520 | $3,200 | $7,806 |
| 3 | Stones Corner | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,254 | $500 | $3,200 | $7,817 |
| 4 | Paddington | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $944 | $520 | $3,500 | $7,827 |
| 5 | Wilston | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,284 | $510 | $3,200 | $7,857 |
| 6 | Windsor | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,284 | $520 | $3,200 | $7,867 |
| 7 | Bulimba | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,314 | $520 | $3,200 | $7,897 |
| 8 | Newmarket | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,345 | $530 | $3,200 | $7,938 |
| 9 | Morningside | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,614 | $490 | $3,000 | $7,967 |
| 10 | Balmoral | BCC | $1,039 | $1,824 | $1,435 | $480 | $3,200 | $7,978 |
Source: Brisbane City Council 2026-27, QUU 2025-26, ATO 88c/km, SuburbCost AI estimates. Body corporate is estimated, confirm actual levy before purchase.
What actually drives the difference between suburbs
Modelled driving cost accounts for more of the gap between the most and least expensive suburbs than council rates, water, and insurance combined. This is the central finding of the index and the one most buyers miss.
Council rates across the five Greater Brisbane council areas span roughly $1,298 (Ipswich) to $1,816 (Logan) per year, a difference of about $520. Water and sewerage charges vary from $1,824 (QUU) to $2,074 (Unitywater in parts of Moreton Bay). The maximum variation from council rates and water together is under $800 per year.
Driving cost, by contrast, spans from $34 (Brisbane City) to $17,600 (the rural fringe cap), a difference of more than $17,500. The fixed costs that feel immovable are, in this index, the least variable element. The cost that gets treated as a lifestyle choice is the one that actually determines where a suburb ranks.
The secondary driver is insurance. A high-risk suburb's $5,500 insurance estimate versus a low-risk suburb's $1,700 represents a $3,800 annual gap, larger than the council rate spread, but smaller than the commute gap. Flood and fire risk classifications drive insurance more than any other variable, which is why coastal, low-lying suburbs appear expensive relative to their distance from the CBD.
The implication for buyers is direct: the most effective way to reduce your suburb's annual running cost is not to shop between councils or compare water utilities. It is to live closer to where you work, or to use public transport where it is available. Public transport costs $192 per year from any Queensland suburb, a fixed cost that makes outer suburbs materially cheaper to run when compared to driving.
What the average looks like
The mean annual running cost across all 514 suburbs is $11,420 for houses and $11,425 for units, a difference of just $5. This near-identical average confirms what the individual suburb data shows: the lower council rate for units ($1,039 versus $1,579 in BCC) is systematically absorbed by body corporate levies, producing the same average total cost as houses.
The mean also illustrates how the rural fringe suburbs skew the distribution. With driving costs at the $17,600 cap, they pull the mean well above what most Greater Brisbane suburban buyers will actually experience. A buyer purchasing in a typical middle-ring BCC suburb can expect total annual running costs closer to the $6,000 to $9,000 range, well below the $11,420 mean.
Frequently asked questions
Which Brisbane suburb is the most expensive to live in?
Jimna and Kingaham on the Moreton Bay regional fringe are the most expensive Greater Brisbane suburbs to run a house in, at $24,410 per year. This is driven almost entirely by the modelled driving cost: rural fringe suburbs beyond 100km from the CBD reach the model's cap of $17,600 per year at the ATO rate of 88 cents per kilometre. Within the commutable footprint, the most expensive house suburbs are flood-exposed suburbs around 40-48km out, led by Woongoolba at $15,603, where building insurance reaches $5,200 to $5,500 annually.
Which Brisbane suburb is the cheapest to live in?
Brisbane City (postcode 4000) is the cheapest suburb to run a house in at $5,237 per year. The near-zero modelled driving cost ($34) for residents in the city centre is the primary reason, they can walk or use public transport for most trips. Council rates and water charges are identical to other BCC suburbs.
What is the average annual running cost for a Brisbane suburb?
The mean annual running cost across 514 Greater Brisbane suburbs is $11,420 for houses and $11,425 for units. The near-identical averages reflect the lower council rate for units ($1,039 versus $1,579 in BCC) being offset by body corporate levies, which range from $2,800 to $3,500 for most mid-ring BCC units.
What costs are included in this index?
Council rates (from individual council websites, 2026-27), water and sewerage charges (Queensland Urban Utilities and Unitywater), modelled annual driving cost (distance to the Brisbane CBD by car, priced at the ATO 88c/km rate over the year), and home building insurance (AI-estimated). Body corporate levy is included for unit suburbs. Mortgage repayments, personal spending, food, utilities, and land tax are not included.
Why are rural fringe suburbs like Jimna so expensive to run?
Rural fringe suburbs cost more to run because their distance from the Brisbane CBD makes the modelled driving cost the largest single expense. The model prices a return car commute at the ATO rate of 88 cents per kilometre (covering fuel, registration, insurance, and depreciation) over the year, and caps suburbs beyond 100km at $17,600 per year. That single figure exceeds what an inner-city resident spends on council rates, water, and insurance combined.
What are the cheapest Brisbane suburbs to live in?
The cheapest Brisbane suburbs to run a house in are all inner BCC: Brisbane City ($5,237/year), Spring Hill ($5,604), South Brisbane ($5,671), Petrie Terrace ($5,771), and Kangaroo Point ($5,771). These suburbs have near-zero modelled driving costs because residents can primarily use public transport or walk. Council rates and water charges are identical to all other BCC suburbs.
Where does your suburb rank?
The SuburbCost tool shows the full annual cost breakdown for any of the 1,615 Queensland suburbs in the database, council rates, water, commute (driving or public transport), and insurance side by side. Compare two suburbs at once and toggle between transport modes to see how the ranking shifts.
Compare suburb costs →Data sources and methodology
Council rates: Brisbane City Council 2026-27, Moreton Bay Regional Council 2026-27, Logan City Council 2026-27, Ipswich City Council 2026-27, Redland City Council 2026-27, each the minimum residential general rate for an owner-occupied principal place of residence. Water and sewerage: Queensland Urban Utilities 2025-26 (BCC, Ipswich suburbs), Unitywater 2025-26 (Moreton Bay suburbs). Driving cost: modelled CBD commute priced at the ATO cents per kilometre rate (88c/km), based on each suburb's road distance to the Brisbane CBD with trip frequency tapering by distance and a cap for suburbs beyond 100km. Home insurance: AI-estimated using flood risk classification (Queensland Globe), fire risk classification (QFES), and suburb type, disclosed as estimate throughout. Body corporate: AI-estimated, disclosed as estimate, confirm with body corporate before purchase. School ratings and risk data are not included in this index. Coverage: 514 suburbs across BCC, Moreton Bay, Logan, Ipswich, and Redland City council areas. Council rates: 2026-27; water and driving: 2025-26.
Cite this data
SuburbCost data is free to cite with attribution. Please link to this page as the source.