Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Alice Springs: $1,798 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $3,245 in Sydney.

Alice Springs $1,798
Sydney $3,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,720 in Alice Springs versus $4,803 in Sydney.

Alice Springs $2,720
Sydney $4,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,641 in Alice Springs versus $6,362 in Sydney.

Alice Springs $3,641
Sydney $6,362

Living in Alice Springs costs roughly 45% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alice Springs 33% above, Sydney 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.85

$17.41 A$25.05

-0.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 A$119

$90.3 A$130

-8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 A$15.40

$11.92 A$17.15

-10.23%

Cappuccino

$4.28 A$6.16

$4.03 A$5.80

6.20%

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

$2.87 A$4.13

$2.88 A$4.15

-0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 A$4.06

$2.23 A$3.20

26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.48 A$9.33

$7.89 A$11.36

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 A$13.72

$6.78 A$9.76

40.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.05

$1.71 A$2.45

-16.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 A$3.03

$2.94 A$4.23

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.57

$2.51 A$3.61

-29.08%

Eggs

$5.10 A$7.33

$5.55 A$7.99

-8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 A$14.63

$11.77 A$16.94

-13.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.94

$9.28 A$13.35

-10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 A$20.87

$16.70 A$24.03

-13.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.53

$3.92 A$5.64

-2.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.16 A$4.55

-5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.78

$3.48 A$5.00

-24.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.86

$4.38 A$6.31

56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.58

$3.33 A$4.79

-25.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.28

$2.40 A$3.46

-5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.50

$2.31 A$3.32

5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 A$3.40

$1.15 A$1.65

105.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.22 A$40.60

$44.34 A$63.8

-36.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$13.71 A$19.72

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 A$4.64

$4.00 A$5.75

-19.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 A$8.04

$4.03 A$5.80

38.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.02

$3.22 A$4.63

-13.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 A$99.1

$154 A$222

-55.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 A$6.97

$3.57 A$5.14

35.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.24

$1.58 A$2.27

-1.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.74 A$39.92

$39.44 A$56.8

-29.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$1.48 A$2.13

-8.78%

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

$37.6K A$54.1K

$29.6K A$42.5K

27.28%

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

$23.0K A$33.0K

$27.7K A$39.8K

-16.97%

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

$213 A$306

$241 A$347

-11.95%

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

$28.21 A$40.59

$27.57 A$39.67

2.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.86 A$66.0

$56.3 A$81.0

-18.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$81.9

$78.1 A$112

-27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 A$25.83

$23.26 A$33.47

-22.83%

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 A$20.06

$17.55 A$25.26

-20.57%

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

$1,941 A$2,793

$2,185 A$3,144

-11.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$27.8K A$40.0K

-26.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$105

$80.0 A$115

-8.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.03 A$17.31

$70.7 A$102

-82.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 A$198

$111 A$159

24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$129 A$186

-7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 A$2,022

$2,477 A$3,564

-43.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 A$746

$1,777 A$2,557

-70.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 A$1,823

$4,885 A$7,030

-74.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 A$1,101

$3,093 A$4,451

-75.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,502 A$6,478

$13.4K A$19.3K

-66.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,696 A$6,757

$8,375 A$12.1K

-43.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,301 A$6,189

$4,074 A$5,862

5.58%

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 Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alice Springs

$518 28.8%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8% 243% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Alice Springs

$365 20.3%

Sydney

$378 11.7% 3.5% $13

Eating Out

Alice Springs

$296 16.5%

Sydney

$297 9.2% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alice Springs

$287 15.9%

Sydney

$325 10% 13.5% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Alice Springs

$154 8.6%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 14% $22

Getting Around

Alice Springs

$93 5.2%

Sydney

$178 5.5% 92.6% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Alice Springs

$85 4.7%

Sydney

$113 3.5% 33.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,405 in Alice Springs and $2,477 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Alice Springs vs $90.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $378 per month, with Alice Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

05:56 5:56 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Alice Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,855

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

Alice Springs Sydney 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Alice Springs
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

Alice Springs vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alice Springs wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alice Springs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Alice Springs, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,405 in Alice Springs versus $2,477 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alice Springs – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $90.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $3,245 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alice Springs but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Alice Springs 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, Alice Springs 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 Alice Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.