Cost of Living Comparison Between Adelaide and Sydney Cost of Living Comparison Between Adelaide and Sydney

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,269 in Adelaide versus $2,759 in Sydney.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,382 in Adelaide versus $4,168 in Sydney.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Adelaide versus $5,578 in Sydney.

Living in Adelaide costs roughly 18% less than in Sydney, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Adelaide 69% above, Sydney 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.99 A$23.82

$16.49 A$23.12

3.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 A$117

$78.9 A$111

5.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 A$13.38

$9.93 A$13.93

-3.93%

Cappuccino

$3.39 A$4.76

$3.38 A$4.74

0.30%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 A$3.72

$2.55 A$3.57

3.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.23

$1.97 A$2.76

16.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 A$9.26

$6.67 A$9.35

-1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 A$11.15

$7.35 A$10.30

8.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.07

$1.63 A$2.29

-9.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.74

$2.72 A$3.82

-2.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.82

$2.28 A$3.19

-11.84%

Eggs

$4.51 A$6.32

$5.04 A$7.07

-10.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 A$14.16

$8.92 A$12.50

13.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 A$11.67

$8.34 A$11.70

-0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 A$19.87

$14.12 A$19.80

0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.84

$3.24 A$4.54

-15.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.74

$2.70 A$3.78

-1.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.06

$3.13 A$4.39

-7.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.59

$4.41 A$6.19

-9.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.73

$2.44 A$3.43

9.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.97

$2.33 A$3.27

-9.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 A$3.13

$2.21 A$3.10

0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.29

$1.25 A$1.75

30.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.47 A$39.91

$32.36 A$45.37

-12.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 A$19.97

$14.11 A$19.79

0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.49 A$6.29

$4.66 A$6.53

-3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 A$7.28

$5.33 A$7.47

-2.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 A$4.13

$3.28 A$4.60

-10.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 A$105

$141 A$197

-46.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 A$5.87

$3.99 A$5.59

5.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.59

$2.93 A$4.11

-37.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.47 A$59.6

$52.5 A$73.6

-19.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.25 A$1.75

-4.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.5K A$39.9K

$29.4K A$41.3K

-3.23%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K A$36.2K

$22.7K A$31.8K

14.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$211 A$296

$204 A$286

3.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.92 A$36.33

$24.13 A$33.83

7.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 A$72.1

$51.9 A$72.8

-0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.27 A$52.3

$61.1 A$85.7

-39.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.81 A$10.95

$20.84 A$29.22

-62.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.01 A$19.64

$15.71 A$22.03

-10.82%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,029 A$1,443

$2,074 A$2,908

-50.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,258 A$10.2K

$18.9K A$26.5K

-61.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 A$96.3

$72.9 A$102

-5.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$75.4

$58.1 A$81.5

-7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$150

$108 A$151

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 A$143

$133 A$187

-23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 A$1,799

$2,194 A$3,076

-41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 A$1,541

$1,491 A$2,090

-26.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 A$2,774

$4,416 A$6,191

-55.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 A$2,375

$2,626 A$3,682

-35.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,479 A$13.3K

$13.4K A$18.7K

-29.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,290 A$8,818

$7,589 A$10.6K

-17.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,870 A$5,425

$4,193 A$5,879

-7.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

6.34

1.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Adelaide: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sydney: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,283 in Adelaide and $2,194 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Adelaide vs $79.0 in Sydney. Groceries flip the comparison at $345 vs $349, with Adelaide cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Adelaide vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Adelaide and Sydney differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,269 vs $2,759 including rent). Adelaide is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sydney earns 8% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,283 in Adelaide versus $2,194 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,029 in Adelaide versus $2,074 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,269 in Adelaide versus $2,759 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Adelaide but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Adelaide the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Adelaide and Sydney are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Adelaide gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.