Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dandenong and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Dandenong: $1,068 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,068 per month in Dandenong vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Dandenong $1,068
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $2,360 per month in Dandenong vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Dandenong $2,360
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $3,651 per month in Dandenong vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Dandenong $3,651
Sydney $6,428

Dandenong is about 67% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Dandenong sits 22% below the global median, while Sydney is 140% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 A$25.14

$17.50 A$24.87

1.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 A$73.5

$90.4 A$128

-42.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 A$17.31

$11.96 A$16.99

1.84%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.84

$4.00 A$5.68

2.75%

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

$2.31 A$3.29

$2.81 A$4.00

-17.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.22 A$3.16

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 A$8.02

$8.13 A$11.56

-30.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 A$5.02

$7.20 A$10.23

-50.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.14

$1.70 A$2.42

-11.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.94 A$4.17

-15.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.51

$2.51 A$3.57

-1.59%

Eggs

$5.57 A$7.92

$5.66 A$8.04

-1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 A$11.89

$12.22 A$17.36

-31.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.75 A$11.02

$9.31 A$13.24

-16.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.87 A$16.87

$16.87 A$23.97

-29.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.91

$3.90 A$5.54

-11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.89

$3.22 A$4.58

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.05

$3.43 A$4.88

-37.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.95

$4.33 A$6.16

-51.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$3.35 A$4.75

-38.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$2.40 A$3.41

4.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 A$0.95

$2.34 A$3.32

-71.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.24

$1.16 A$1.65

36.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.38 A$64.5

$45.47 A$64.6

-0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 A$14.81

$13.99 A$19.88

-25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.76 A$8.19

$4.11 A$5.84

40.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 A$5.07

$4.18 A$5.94

-14.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.98 A$7.07

$3.12 A$4.44

59.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 A$6.18

$3.46 A$4.92

25.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.02

$1.56 A$2.22

-8.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 A$43.32

$39.54 A$56.2

-22.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.94

$1.45 A$2.05

-6.21%

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

$29.9K A$42.6K

$29.9K A$42.5K

0.17%

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

$24.2K A$34.3K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-12.22%

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

$228 A$324

$251 A$356

-9.00%

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

$15.81 A$22.46

$27.76 A$39.44

-43.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.75 A$60.8

$58.0 A$82.4

-26.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.04

Cinema Ticket

$17.48 A$24.84

$17.83 A$25.33

-1.96%

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

$2,493 A$3,543

$2,358 A$3,351

5.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K A$43.5K

$27.2K A$38.6K

12.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.84 A$45.24

$80.5 A$114

-60.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.19 A$24.42

$69.3 A$98.5

-75.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$147

$111 A$157

-6.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 A$162

$127 A$181

-10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,646

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,547

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 A$2,997

$5,202 A$7,391

-59.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 A$1,998

$3,156 A$4,485

-55.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,124 A$5,860

$4,118 A$5,851

0.14%

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 Dandenong: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dandenong

$314 29.4%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 21.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dandenong

$287 26.9%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 17.4% $50

Eating Out

Dandenong

$281 26.3%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 6.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Dandenong

$120 11.2%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 45.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Dandenong

$35 * 3.3%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 204% $71

Getting Around

Dandenong

$31 * 2.9%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 460% $144

Accommodation & Living

Dandenong

- * 0%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Dandenong versus $90 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $382 – making Dandenong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

09:27 9:27 AM

Same time as Dandenong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,127

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

Dandenong Sydney 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dandenong
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

Dandenong vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 206%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,602 per month in Dandenong and $4,900 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,068 in Dandenong and $3,267 in Sydney. That makes Dandenong about 67% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,493 per month in Dandenong and $2,358 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dandenong, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Dandenong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,068 in Dandenong to $3,267 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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