Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balga and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Balga: $2,762 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,762

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,762 in Balga versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Balga $2,762
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,828 in Balga versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Balga $3,828
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,893 in Balga versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Balga $4,893
Sydney $6,428

Living in Balga costs roughly 15% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balga 103% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.97 A$29.71

$17.50 A$24.79

19.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 A$118

$90.4 A$128

-7.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 A$15.77

$11.96 A$16.94

-6.94%

Cappuccino

$4.62 A$6.54

$4.00 A$5.67

15.50%

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

$2.80 A$3.96

$2.81 A$3.98

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.26

$2.22 A$3.15

3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 A$11.89

$8.13 A$11.52

3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.69

$7.20 A$10.20

14.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.46

$1.70 A$2.41

2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.45

$2.94 A$4.16

6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.79

$2.51 A$3.56

-21.51%

Eggs

$5.09 A$7.22

$5.66 A$8.02

-10.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 A$13.13

$12.22 A$17.30

-24.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 A$13.40

$9.31 A$13.20

1.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.46

$16.87 A$23.90

-18.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.46

$3.90 A$5.53

16.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.55

$3.22 A$4.57

-0.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.05

$3.43 A$4.86

3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 A$6.87

$4.33 A$6.14

12.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.03

$3.35 A$4.74

-14.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.73

$2.40 A$3.40

-19.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.34 A$3.31

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.16 A$1.64

15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.17 A$59.7

$45.47 A$64.4

-7.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 A$17.65

$13.99 A$19.82

-10.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.16

$4.11 A$5.82

5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$4.98

$4.18 A$5.92

-15.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.78

$3.12 A$4.43

-14.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$152 A$215

-48.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 A$5.12

$3.46 A$4.90

4.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.56 A$2.21

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.13 A$58.3

$39.54 A$56.0

4.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.45 A$2.05

-6.90%

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

$29.9K A$42.4K

0.05%

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

$27.8K A$39.5K

$27.5K A$39.0K

1.21%

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

$207 A$293

$251 A$355

-17.66%

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

$33.27 A$47.13

$27.76 A$39.32

19.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 A$90.0

$58.0 A$82.2

9.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 A$88.7

$70.7 A$100

-11.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 A$27.29

$23.25 A$32.94

-17.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 A$24.45

$17.83 A$25.25

-3.20%

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

$2,271 A$3,217

$2,358 A$3,341

-3.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K A$33.6K

$27.2K A$38.5K

-12.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$80.5 A$114

-2.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 A$89.9

$69.3 A$98.2

-8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$175

$111 A$157

11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 A$233

$127 A$181

29.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 A$2,078

$2,566 A$3,635

-42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 A$1,938

$1,792 A$2,539

-23.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 A$2,833

$5,202 A$7,369

-61.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 A$2,523

$3,156 A$4,471

-43.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,422 A$9,097

$13.4K A$19.0K

-52.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 A$6,217

$8,727 A$12.4K

-49.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,358 A$4,757

$4,118 A$5,834

-18.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.92

0.68%

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

Last update for Balga: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balga

$1.4K 49.5%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 31% $424

Groceries & Markets

Balga

$365 13.2%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 4.7% $17

Eating Out

Balga

$335 12.1%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 10.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balga

$303 11%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 11% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Balga

$193 7%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 9.7% $19

Getting Around

Balga

$100 3.6%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 76% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Balga

$97 3.5%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 9.5% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,467 in Balga and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Balga vs $90 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $382 per month, with Balga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Balga

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

22:33 10:33 PM

3 h ahead of Balga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,685

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Balga Sydney 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Balga
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

Balga vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,762 in Balga and $3,267 in Sydney, so Balga is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Balga. 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: $1,467 in Balga versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Balga – a meal for two runs $83 versus $90 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,762 per month in Balga versus $3,267 in Sydney – Balga is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Balga and Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Balga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.