Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bendigo and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Bendigo: $2,008 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Bendigo
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Bendigo Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Bendigo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,008

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,008 per month in Bendigo vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Bendigo $2,008
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $2,978 per month in Bendigo vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Bendigo $2,978
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $3,948 per month in Bendigo vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Bendigo $3,948
Sydney $6,428

Bendigo is about 39% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bendigo and Sydney sit above the global median – Bendigo by 48%, Sydney by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.37 A$24.67

$17.50 A$24.87

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$109

$90.4 A$128

-14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.40 A$17.62

$11.96 A$16.99

3.68%

Cappuccino

$4.08 A$5.80

$4.00 A$5.68

2.00%

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

$3.10 A$4.40

$2.81 A$4.00

10.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 A$3.67

$2.22 A$3.16

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.97 A$14.17

$8.13 A$11.56

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.66 A$12.31

$7.20 A$10.23

20.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.93

$1.70 A$2.42

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 A$4.14

$2.94 A$4.17

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.65

$2.51 A$3.57

2.39%

Eggs

$4.73 A$6.73

$5.66 A$8.04

-16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 A$15.20

$12.22 A$17.36

-12.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.04 A$14.27

$9.31 A$13.24

7.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 A$15.00

$16.87 A$23.97

-37.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.06

$3.90 A$5.54

-8.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.33

$3.22 A$4.58

-5.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.60

$3.43 A$4.88

-5.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 A$6.82

$4.33 A$6.16

10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.09

$3.35 A$4.75

-14.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.52

$2.40 A$3.41

2.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.50

$2.34 A$3.32

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.31

$1.16 A$1.65

40.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.51 A$63.2

$45.47 A$64.6

-2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 A$14.75

$13.99 A$19.88

-25.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.46 A$7.75

$4.11 A$5.84

32.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.36 A$7.61

$4.18 A$5.94

28.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 A$4.90

$3.12 A$4.44

10.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.9 A$80.8

$152 A$216

-62.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 A$5.85

$3.46 A$4.92

19.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$2.01

$1.56 A$2.22

-9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.84 A$19.67

$39.54 A$56.2

-65.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.80

$1.45 A$2.05

-12.41%

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

$27.6K A$39.2K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-7.73%

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

$19.7K A$27.9K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-28.55%

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

$142 A$202

$251 A$356

-43.21%

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

$27.59 A$39.20

$27.76 A$39.44

-0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$80.3

$58.0 A$82.4

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.68 A$27.97

$23.25 A$33.04

-15.35%

Cinema Ticket

$12.70 A$18.05

$17.83 A$25.33

-28.77%

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

$2,154 A$3,061

$2,358 A$3,351

-8.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.9K A$42.5K

$27.2K A$38.6K

9.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 A$116

$80.5 A$114

1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.98 A$71.0

$69.3 A$98.5

-27.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$168

$111 A$157

6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$193

$127 A$181

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 A$1,613

$2,566 A$3,646

-55.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 A$1,172

$1,792 A$2,547

-53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 A$1,900

$5,202 A$7,391

-74.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 A$1,773

$3,156 A$4,485

-60.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,400 A$6,251

$13.4K A$19.0K

-67.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,892 A$5,531

$8,727 A$12.4K

-55.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,967 A$4,215

$4,118 A$5,851

-27.96%

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 Bendigo: 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

Bendigo

$825 41.1%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 117% $967

Groceries & Markets

Bendigo

$361 18%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 6% $21

Eating Out

Bendigo

$315 15.7%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 5.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bendigo

$227 11.3%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 48.6% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Bendigo

$173 8.6%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 0.7% $1.2

Getting Around

Bendigo

$82 4.1%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 115% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Bendigo

$25 * 1.3%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 319% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,135 in Bendigo versus $2,566 in Sydney. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Bendigo versus $90 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $382 – making Bendigo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bendigo

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

Same time as Bendigo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,649

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bendigo Sydney 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bendigo
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

Bendigo vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,012 per month in Bendigo and $4,900 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bendigo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,135 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Bendigo and $90 in Sydney. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,008 in Bendigo and $3,267 in Sydney. That makes Bendigo about 39% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bendigo, where all-in costs run around $2,008, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Bendigo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bendigo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Bendigo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.