Living in Brisbane

Living and working in Brisbane offers ample opportunities to combine exciting career progression with an attractive lifestyle. As the capital of Queensland, Brisbane is home to two million people, with a modern, clean CBD, extensive natural beauty, and a wide array of cultural offerings.

To make sure you’re prepared for your move to Brisbane, take a look at our guide to living in the city.

Where to live in Brisbane

There are a large number of housing options in Brisbane, with the most iconic being the ‘Queenslander’ home with high ceilings and a verandah to take advantage of the region’s subtropical climate. The housing boom of the early 2000s also saw much development in the central business district, with many apartment buildings now in the area.

Some of the popular areas to live in for expats include:

Fortitude Valley – situated very close to the city centre and one of Brisbane’s main entertainment hotspots with nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. Due to its central location, Fortitude Valley is well connected to other areas of Brisbane by public transport.

New Farm – lies on the Brisbane River two kilometres east of the Brisbane CBD. It is an affluent area with a vibrant art and nightlife scene and is connected to the city and other suburbs by buses and ferries.

West End – laidback inner-city suburb with a multitude of café and restaurant options, as well as markets and shopping. The area is well serviced by buses and ferries.

Holland Park – situated approximately 10 km from the centre of Brisbane, Holland Park is known for being a family-friendly suburb with affordable housing, parks, and schools.

The Brisbane jobs market

Brisbane is the third largest city in Australia and has the largest population growth rate of any capital city in the country. With an economy worth $146 billion, it is home to a significant number of offices for major Australian and international companies.

Brisbane is a leader in many sectors, with key growth industries being business services, construction, education, finance, government, health, manufacturing, mining, retail, and transport. Construction, education, government, health, and retail make up more than half of total employment in Brisbane. 

Business services is a particularly robust sector in Brisbane, accounting for more than 25% of the city’s economy. This industry includes a wide range of knowledge-based services including architecture, consultancy, design, engineering, legal and other professional services delivered to manufacturing, mining, and other businesses.

As Australia’s fastest growing capital city for employment, Brisbane jobs come with some of the most competitive salaries in the country. To learn more about salary benchmarks in your sector in QLD, take a look at the Michael Page Salary Centre.

Renting in Brisbane

Typically, renting a house is organised through a licensed real estate agent, or, rarely, directly through a private landlord. Properties available to rent are usually listed on property websites such as Domain or realestate.com.au. To rent a property, you will need to apply to the real estate agency or landlord with an application form including details such as your tenancy history, employment history, and a list of referees.

When you move into a rented home, you will need to pay a rental bond that acts as a security deposit. This is usually equivalent to four weeks’ rent and is paid to the property manager or owner, who then lodges it to the Residential Tenancies Authority. Provided you have met the terms of the rental agreement, you’ll be refunded your bond when moving out.

Living in share accommodation is also a great way to build a network if you’ve just moved to Brisbane. You can find open accommodation in Brisbane using services like Flatmate Finders and flatmates.com.au.

Household utilities

If you move into a home in Brisbane that isn’t already occupied by tenants, you’ll be responsible for setting up the electricity and gas (if your house has gas cooking or heating) services. Many service providers offer bundled utilities – some of the largest providers in Australia include:

Energy Australia – electricity and gas

AGL – electricity, gas, and solar

Origin – electricity and gas

You can compare prices on plans using the Australian Government’s Energy Made Easy website.

Rental property owners in Brisbane can also charge tenants for water usage if the water charging criteria have been met.

Alongside utilities, you will also need to set up the internet at your new home. Some of the biggest internet providers include:

Telstra

Optus

TPG

These providers also offer bundled internet, home phone, and mobile phone plans.

The National Broadband Network (infrastructure to provide more reliable broadband internet) is being rolled out across Brisbane. You can check to see if your address is eligible for nbn internet plans here. If not, you will need to choose an ADSL plan instead.