Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Broken Hill and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Broken Hill: $2,371 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Broken Hill
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Broken Hill Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Broken Hill

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,371

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,371 in Broken Hill versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Broken Hill $2,371
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,506 in Broken Hill versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Broken Hill $3,506
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,641 in Broken Hill versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Broken Hill $4,641
Sydney $6,428

Living in Broken Hill costs roughly 27% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Broken Hill 74% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 A$23.94

$17.50 A$24.99

-4.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 A$119

$90.4 A$129

-7.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 A$13.01

$11.96 A$17.07

-23.83%

Cappuccino

$4.13 A$5.90

$4.00 A$5.71

3.25%

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

$2.79 A$3.99

$2.81 A$4.02

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 A$3.33

$2.22 A$3.17

4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 A$10.66

$8.13 A$11.62

-8.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 A$10.00

$7.20 A$10.28

-2.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.52

$1.70 A$2.43

3.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.94 A$4.19

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.91

$2.51 A$3.59

-18.73%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.91

$5.66 A$8.08

-2.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 A$13.74

$12.22 A$17.44

-21.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 A$14.54

$9.31 A$13.30

9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 A$23.35

$16.87 A$24.09

-3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 A$6.07

$3.90 A$5.57

8.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.06

$3.22 A$4.60

-11.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.26

$3.43 A$4.90

-13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 A$6.74

$4.33 A$6.19

9.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.32

$3.35 A$4.78

-9.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.40 A$3.43

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 A$3.19

$2.34 A$3.34

-4.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.16 A$1.65

34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$48.29 A$69.0

$45.47 A$64.9

6.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 A$21.76

$13.99 A$19.98

8.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.21 A$6.01

$4.11 A$5.87

2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 A$7.82

$4.18 A$5.97

30.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.85

$3.12 A$4.46

-13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.7 A$109

$152 A$217

-49.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 A$5.39

$3.46 A$4.94

8.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 A$2.57

$1.56 A$2.23

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.58 A$63.7

$39.54 A$56.5

12.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.17

$1.45 A$2.06

4.83%

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

$30.7K A$43.9K

$29.9K A$42.7K

2.72%

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

$24.5K A$35.0K

$27.5K A$39.3K

-10.95%

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

$205 A$293

$251 A$358

-18.26%

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

$25.11 A$35.87

$27.76 A$39.64

-9.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.6

$58.0 A$82.8

-1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.6 A$90.9

$70.7 A$101

-9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.15 A$21.63

$23.25 A$33.20

-34.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 A$19.96

$17.83 A$25.46

-21.65%

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

$2,372 A$3,388

$2,358 A$3,368

0.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K A$30.9K

$27.2K A$38.8K

-20.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 A$98.5

$80.5 A$115

-14.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.07 A$68.7

$69.3 A$99.0

-30.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$111 A$158

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$178

$127 A$182

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,594 A$2,277

$2,566 A$3,664

-37.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,528

$1,792 A$2,560

-40.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 A$3,216

$5,202 A$7,429

-56.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,720 A$2,457

$3,156 A$4,508

-45.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,079 A$7,253

$13.4K A$19.1K

-62.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,926 A$7,035

$8,727 A$12.5K

-43.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,881

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 Broken Hill: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Broken Hill

$1.1K 45.1%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 67.6% $723

Groceries & Markets

Broken Hill

$383 16.1%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Broken Hill

$287 12.1%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 17.1% $49

Eating Out

Broken Hill

$283 11.9%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 5.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Broken Hill

$156 6.6%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 11.6% $18

Getting Around

Broken Hill

$100 4.2%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 75.2% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Broken Hill

$92 3.9%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 16.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,594 in Broken Hill and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Broken Hill vs $90 in Sydney. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $382, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Broken Hill

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

30 min ahead of Broken Hill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,456

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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Between locations

Broken Hill Sydney 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Broken Hill
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

Broken Hill vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Broken Hill is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,556 in Broken Hill and $4,900 in Sydney to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,594 in Broken Hill versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Broken Hill runs roughly 49% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,371 per month in Broken Hill versus $3,267 in Sydney – Broken Hill is about 27% 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, Broken Hill and Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.