AU flag
Brisbane

Australia

vs
AU flag
Townsville

Australia

Climate

Brisbane logs 36 hot days a year to Townsville's 135 — Brisbane wins by 99. Townsville also leads on outdoor-dinner months by 3.

BrisbaneTownsville
Sunny days
267277
Hot days
36135
Frost days
00
Rainy days
126120
Outdoor dinner months
7/1210/12
Avg wind
2.7 m/s3.1 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,7482,751
Darkest month sun
205 hrs/mo158 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.311.7

Brisbane

Feels-like °C

28
27
25
22
18
17
13
19
20
24
25
28

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Townsville

Feels-like °C

31
29
29
26
22
21
19
21
23
27
29
30

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Brisbane averages $2,820/mo for balanced living; Townsville has no cost baseline yet.

Brisbane

$2,820

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,192Comfort $4,446
Top 83%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Townsville

monthly · balanced

Mobility

Brisbane scores 2.4 on mobility (0–5 scale); Townsville has no mobility baseline.

2.4/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
FlightsAirport

Culture

Brisbane's culture score of 2.4 sits well above Townsville's 0.0.

2.4/5
vs
0.0/5
BrisbaneTownsville
TheatreVenues
Brisbane leads

Nature & Outdoors

Brisbane scores 4.0 on nature & outdoors (0–5 scale); Townsville has no nature & outdoors baseline.

4.0/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingClimbing

Safety

Brisbane scores 3.6 on safety (0–5 scale); Townsville has no safety baseline.

3.6/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
WildfireFlooding

Career

Brisbane scores 3.7 on career (0–5 scale); Townsville has no career baseline.

3.7/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking

Social & Community

Brisbane scores 3.6 on social & community (0–5 scale); Townsville has no social & community baseline.

3.6/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support

Food & Dining

Brisbane scores 3.6 on food & dining (0–5 scale); Townsville has no food & dining baseline.

3.6/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery

Family

Brisbane scores 3.5 on family (0–5 scale); Townsville has no family baseline.

3.5/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

Brisbane scores 3.4 on healthcare (0–5 scale); Townsville has no healthcare baseline.

3.4/5
vs
/5
BrisbaneTownsville
Private Healthcare

Air Quality

Brisbane averages 5.2 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Townsville's 6.1 µg/m³ (good) — Brisbane breathes ~14% cleaner air (0.8 µg/m³ lower).

Brisbane

Townsville

5.2µg/m³
6.1µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Brisbane (1.4M) and Townsville (181K) are 7.5x in population — Brisbane is the larger metro, Townsville the smaller.

7.5x

Brisbane is roughly 7.5x the scale of Townsville

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

AU flagBrisbane
7.5x
AU flagTownsville
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.AU flagBrisbane1.4M7.5x
2.AU flagTownsville181K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Brisbane vs Townsville

Which is cheaper, Brisbane or Townsville?
Brisbane has an estimated monthly cost of $2,820.
How does the climate compare between Brisbane and Townsville?
Sunny days: 267 vs 277 d — Townsville higher Annual sunshine: 2,748 vs 2,751 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 205 vs 158 hrs/day — Brisbane higher Hot days (>30°C): 36 vs 135 d — Brisbane lower Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 126 vs 120 d — Similar
Is Brisbane or Townsville safer?
Brisbane has a safety score of 3.6/5.
Should I move to Brisbane or Townsville?
Brisbane and Townsville are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Brisbane and Townsville stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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