Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Canberra: $2,886 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,886 per month in Canberra vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Canberra $2,886
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Canberra vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Canberra $4,020
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $5,153 per month in Canberra vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Canberra $5,153
Sydney $6,428

Canberra is about 12% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Canberra and Sydney sit above the global median – Canberra by 112%, Sydney by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 A$29.53

$17.50 A$24.88

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 A$128

$90.4 A$128

-0.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.83

$11.96 A$17.00

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.67

$4.00 A$5.69

-0.25%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.81 A$4.00

11.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 A$3.75

$2.22 A$3.16

18.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.83

$8.13 A$11.57

2.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 A$14.37

$7.20 A$10.24

40.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.70 A$2.42

-12.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$2.94 A$4.18

6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.51 A$3.58

0.80%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.57

$5.66 A$8.05

-6.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 A$18.69

$12.22 A$17.37

7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.19

$9.31 A$13.24

7.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 A$21.44

$16.87 A$23.99

-10.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$3.90 A$5.55

3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$3.22 A$4.58

-1.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.04

$3.43 A$4.88

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$4.33 A$6.16

18.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$3.35 A$4.76

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.03

$2.40 A$3.41

17.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.34 A$3.33

5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.16 A$1.65

20.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.06 A$62.7

$45.47 A$64.7

-3.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.28

$13.99 A$19.89

1.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.85

$4.11 A$5.84

17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.08

$4.18 A$5.94

35.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.60

$3.12 A$4.44

-18.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$135

$152 A$216

-37.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.68

$3.46 A$4.92

15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.56 A$2.22

5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.56 A$60.5

$39.54 A$56.2

7.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.45 A$2.06

-8.28%

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

$28.0K A$39.8K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-6.41%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-4.46%

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

$184 A$262

$251 A$357

-26.54%

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

$26.57 A$37.78

$27.76 A$39.47

-4.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 A$79.5

$58.0 A$82.5

-3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 A$113

$70.7 A$100

12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 A$39.55

$23.25 A$33.06

19.61%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.78

$17.83 A$25.35

-10.15%

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

$2,460 A$3,498

$2,358 A$3,353

4.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.3K

$27.2K A$38.7K

-24.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$80.5 A$114

-5.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.7

$69.3 A$98.5

-17.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$111 A$157

-2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$127 A$181

4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,486

$2,566 A$3,648

-31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 A$2,126

$1,792 A$2,549

-16.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 A$4,358

$5,202 A$7,396

-41.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,813

$3,156 A$4,488

-37.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K A$15.8K

$13.4K A$19.0K

-17.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,790 A$11.1K

$8,727 A$12.4K

-10.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 A$6,139

$4,118 A$5,856

4.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.92

0.51%

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

Last update for Canberra: 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

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 19.9% $297

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$397 13.8%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 3.8% $15

Eating Out

Canberra

$330 11.4%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 9.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$267 9.2%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 26.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$168 5.8%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 3.8% $6.4

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 49.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$111 3.9%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 4.6% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,749 in Canberra 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 5% higher in Canberra, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Canberra versus $90 in Sydney. Groceries tell a different story – $397 in Canberra vs $382 in Sydney – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Canberra vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,886 in Canberra, $3,267 in Sydney – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,329 per month in Canberra 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 Canberra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,749 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Public transport costs about 38% less in Canberra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Sydney – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.