New data from Compare the Market has revealed that Australia still ranks in the top 10 most expensive countries for public transport, despite Queensland’s network dramatically cutting down fares to just 50 cents per journey.
Australia was ranked the ninth most expensive in the world for public transport costs. In data from 2023, Australia was ranked as the third-most expensive. Queensland moved to $0.50 cent fares in 2025 following a public trial, which has drastically reduced the cost of public transport in a number of cities, and lowered Australia’s national average and ranking from third-most expensive to ninth.
One small consolation is that New Zealand was ranked one position higher at eighth, due to a much higher average monthly pass cost, according to user-submitted data.
At the city-level, Melbourne had the highest average one-way fare across various modes of public transport at $5.37, followed by Sydney and Perth at $4.89. Adelaide’s average was $4.29, while Brisbane had the cheapest at $0.50.
In fact, Brisbane and Queensland’s 50 cent fare makes it the 16th cheapest city in the world, in comparison to 318 others.
The top 10 countries ranked as the most expensive for public transport are listed down below.
| Ranking | Country | One-way Ticket average (AUD) | Monthly Travel Pass (AUD) | INDEX SCORE |
| 1 | Iceland | $7.94 | $131.85 | 8.75 |
| 2 | Switzerland | $6.36 | $149.70 | 8.27 |
| 3 | Netherlands | $5.67 | $139.68 | 7.55 |
| 4 | Denmark | $5.61 | $140.325 | 7.53 |
| 5 | Sweden | $5.82 | $135.405 | 7.52 |
| 6 | Norway | $6.54 | $115.725 | 7.41 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | $5.07 | $141.795 | 7.23 |
| 8 | New Zealand | $3.51 | $175.80 | 7.21 |
| 9 | Australia | $4.59 | $140.13 | 6.88 |
| 10 | Finland | $5.58 | $104.76 | 6.50 |
Adrian Taylor, Executive General Manager of General Insurance, notes that Australia has dropped in the rankings, but is still fairly expensive.
“Since the last time the research was conducted in 2023, Australia’s rank has dropped from third to ninth most expensive. However, you’ll still pay a pretty penny compared to other countries in the world to travel on Australia’s public transport system, except in Queensland,” said Mr Taylor.
“It will be interesting to see if any other states move to a similar low-cost model like Queensland has done.”
Taylor encourages any travellers heading overseas to get travel insurance ahead of time, explaining it can cover a variety of bookings and travel costs, including public transport tickets.
“Sometimes things go wrong, and your pre-paid bookings might be missed. This includes accommodation, events, flights, but also public transport tickets,” Mr Taylor explained.
“If you can prove you pre-purchased a ticket or monthly pass that you can’t use due to an insured event outside of your control, travel insurance can cover the money lost on the travel pass, subject to any policy excess.
“Furthermore, if you need extra accommodation or alternative transport to continue your holiday or get home, travel insurance can cover related expenses to, subject to the policy terms. Be sure to read through the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD) for details.”
To learn more about the data on public transport costs around the world, visit: https://www.comparethemarket.com.au/travel-insurance/features/most-expensive-public-transport/
For interviews and more information, please contact:
James McCay | +61 450 930 374 | [email protected]
Compare the Market is a comparison service that takes the hard work out of shopping around. We make it Simples for Australians to quickly and easily compare and buy insurance, energy, and home loans products from a range of providers. Our easy-to-use comparison tool helps you look for a range of products that may suit your needs and benefit your back pocket.
