Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Adelaide and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Adelaide: $2,640 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Adelaide
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Adelaide Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Adelaide

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,640

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Adelaide and in Sydney

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Adelaide and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,640 in Adelaide versus $3,152 in Sydney.

Adelaide $2,640
Sydney $3,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,749 in Adelaide versus $4,710 in Sydney.

Adelaide $3,749
Sydney $4,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,857 in Adelaide versus $6,268 in Sydney.

Adelaide $4,857
Sydney $6,268

Living in Adelaide costs roughly 16% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Adelaide 96% above, Sydney 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 A$25.46

$17.57 A$25.29

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 A$117

$91.5 A$132

-11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 A$17.06

$11.96 A$17.21

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.86

$4.07 A$5.85

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

$2.84 A$4.08

$2.85 A$4.10

-0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.25 A$3.24

12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.50 A$10.79

$7.60 A$10.94

-1.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.48 A$12.20

$7.43 A$10.69

14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.74

$1.66 A$2.38

14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 A$4.07

$2.78 A$4.00

1.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.23

$2.42 A$3.49

-7.44%

Eggs

$5.94 A$8.54

$5.64 A$8.12

5.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 A$16.77

$11.71 A$16.85

-0.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$13.15

$9.66 A$13.89

-5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 A$27.70

$16.75 A$24.10

14.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 A$5.59

$4.07 A$5.85

-4.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.29

$3.25 A$4.68

-8.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.99

$3.44 A$4.96

0.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 A$7.26

$4.28 A$6.16

17.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.75

$3.28 A$4.72

0.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.43

$2.30 A$3.30

3.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 A$3.75

$2.30 A$3.31

13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.22

$1.21 A$1.74

84.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$43.71 A$62.9

3.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.83 A$19.91

$13.88 A$19.97

-0.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.65 A$8.14

$3.90 A$5.62

44.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 A$8.81

$3.91 A$5.63

56.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.43

$3.04 A$4.38

1.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 A$121

$150 A$216

-43.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 A$4.94

$3.38 A$4.86

1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 A$2.77

$1.56 A$2.24

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.27 A$45.00

$40.01 A$57.6

-21.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.97

$1.40 A$2.01

-2.14%

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

$26.8K A$38.5K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-8.15%

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

$27.8K A$40.0K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-7.66%

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

$193 A$278

$223 A$320

-13.23%

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

$25.17 A$36.22

$27.16 A$39.08

-7.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 A$83.2

$55.8 A$80.3

3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 A$90.2

$74.6 A$107

-15.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.01 A$20.16

$23.99 A$34.52

-41.60%

Cinema Ticket

$16.92 A$24.35

$17.56 A$25.27

-3.64%

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

$2,073 A$2,984

$2,196 A$3,160

-5.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.1K A$20.3K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-49.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 A$104

$78.4 A$113

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.4 A$76.9

$68.4 A$98.5

-21.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$164

$111 A$160

2.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$198

$134 A$193

2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 A$2,444

$2,500 A$3,598

-32.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 A$1,830

$1,709 A$2,460

-25.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,444 A$3,517

$4,946 A$7,117

-50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 A$2,586

$3,022 A$4,349

-40.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.2K A$14.7K

$13.2K A$18.9K

-22.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,768 A$9,739

$8,370 A$12.0K

-19.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 A$5,566

$4,113 A$5,919

-5.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.84

1.37%

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

Last update for Adelaide: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Adelaide

$1.3K 48.2%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 34.4% $437

Groceries & Markets

Adelaide

$415 15.7%

Sydney

$379 12% 8.8% $36

Eating Out

Adelaide

$302 11.4%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 1.1% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Adelaide

$276 10.5%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 10.7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Adelaide

$169 6.4%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 4.2% $7.2

Getting Around

Adelaide

$110 4.2%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 58.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Adelaide

$97 3.7%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 13.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,699 in Adelaide and $2,500 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 6% 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: $81.0 in Adelaide vs $91.0 in Sydney. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $379, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Adelaide

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

10:36 10:36 AM

11:06 11:06 AM

30 min ahead of Adelaide

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,011

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Adelaide Sydney 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Adelaide
Sydney

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 19% in total monthly costs ($2,640 vs $3,152 including rent). Adelaide is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Sydney. 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: $1,699 in Adelaide versus $2,500 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,073 in Adelaide versus $2,196 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sydney pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Adelaide is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 19% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.