Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany: $2,458 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,458

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany 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 Albany and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,458 in Albany versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Albany $2,458
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,607 in Albany versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Albany $3,607
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,756 in Albany versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Albany $4,756
Sydney $6,428

Living in Albany costs roughly 25% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany 81% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 A$27.59

$17.50 A$24.99

10.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.2 A$120

$90.4 A$129

-6.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 A$14.33

$11.96 A$17.07

-16.05%

Cappuccino

$4.47 A$6.38

$4.00 A$5.71

11.75%

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

$2.38 A$3.40

$2.81 A$4.02

-15.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 A$2.97

$2.22 A$3.17

-6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.78

$8.13 A$11.62

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.50

$7.20 A$10.28

2.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.70 A$2.43

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.97

$2.94 A$4.19

-5.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.79

$2.51 A$3.59

-21.91%

Eggs

$5.36 A$7.66

$5.66 A$8.08

-5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 A$11.64

$12.22 A$17.44

-33.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 A$12.95

$9.31 A$13.30

-2.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.48

$16.87 A$24.09

-15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.81

$3.90 A$5.57

4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.31

$3.22 A$4.60

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 A$5.13

$3.43 A$4.90

4.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 A$6.58

$4.33 A$6.19

6.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.76

$3.35 A$4.78

-21.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.40 A$3.43

-1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 A$3.02

$2.34 A$3.34

-9.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 A$2.04

$1.16 A$1.65

23.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.88 A$59.8

$45.47 A$64.9

-7.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 A$21.39

$13.99 A$19.98

7.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.83 A$6.90

$4.11 A$5.87

17.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 A$7.99

$4.18 A$5.97

33.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 A$3.95

$3.12 A$4.46

-11.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 A$122

$152 A$217

-43.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.83

$3.46 A$4.94

-2.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 A$2.44

$1.56 A$2.23

9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.27 A$63.2

$39.54 A$56.5

11.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.72

$1.45 A$2.06

-17.24%

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

$32.2K A$46.0K

$29.9K A$42.7K

7.62%

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

$25.3K A$36.1K

$27.5K A$39.3K

-8.04%

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

$204 A$291

$251 A$358

-18.71%

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

$27.72 A$39.58

$27.76 A$39.64

-0.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.53 A$70.7

$58.0 A$82.8

-14.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.39 A$70.5

$70.7 A$101

-30.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.48 A$24.96

$23.25 A$33.20

-24.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.01 A$20.01

$17.83 A$25.46

-21.42%

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

$2,112 A$3,016

$2,358 A$3,368

-10.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.8K

$27.2K A$38.8K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 A$110

$80.5 A$115

-4.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.82 A$66.9

$69.3 A$99.0

-32.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$111 A$158

9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$195

$127 A$182

6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 A$1,836

$2,566 A$3,664

-49.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 A$1,633

$1,792 A$2,560

-36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,238 A$3,196

$5,202 A$7,429

-56.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 A$2,564

$3,156 A$4,508

-43.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,243 A$8,916

$13.4K A$19.1K

-53.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,142 A$7,343

$8,727 A$12.5K

-41.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,661 A$3,801

$4,118 A$5,881

-35.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.92

-0.34%

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

Last update for Albany: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albany

$1.1K 46.5%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 56.7% $649

Groceries & Markets

Albany

$364 14.8%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 4.9% $18

Eating Out

Albany

$312 12.7%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 4.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany

$281 11.4%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 19.7% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Albany

$171 7%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 1.9% $3.2

Getting Around

Albany

$109 4.4%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 61.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Albany

$77 3.2%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 37.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,286 in Albany and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 55% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Albany vs $90 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $382 per month, with Albany cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Albany

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

3 h ahead of Albany

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,128

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Albany Sydney 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Albany
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

Albany vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Albany the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Albany. 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: $1,286 in Albany versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,458 per month in Albany versus $3,267 in Sydney – Albany is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Albany runs roughly 44% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany 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, Albany and Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Albany gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.