Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver: $2,433 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Denver
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Denver Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,433

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,433 per month in Denver vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Denver $2,433
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $3,666 per month in Denver vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Denver $3,666
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $4,899 per month in Denver vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Denver $4,899
Sydney $6,428

Denver is about 26% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Denver and Sydney sit above the global median – Denver by 79%, Sydney by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 A$21.83

$17.50 A$24.99

-12.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 A$117

$90.4 A$129

-8.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 A$15.44

$11.96 A$17.07

-9.62%

Cappuccino

$3.62 A$5.17

$4.00 A$5.71

-9.50%

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

$2.76 A$3.93

$2.81 A$4.02

-1.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.50

$2.22 A$3.17

10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.34 A$11.91

$8.13 A$11.62

2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 A$10.24

$7.20 A$10.28

-0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.33

$1.70 A$2.43

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 A$3.88

$2.94 A$4.19

-7.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.51 A$3.59

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.68

$5.66 A$8.08

-4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 A$12.20

$12.22 A$17.44

-30.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.33

$9.31 A$13.30

-7.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 A$20.61

$16.87 A$24.09

-14.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.73

$3.90 A$5.57

-15.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.19

$3.22 A$4.60

-9.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.43 A$4.90

-18.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 A$7.44

$4.33 A$6.19

20.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.60

$3.35 A$4.78

-24.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.40 A$3.43

-7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.34 A$3.34

5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 A$2.49

$1.16 A$1.65

50.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.36 A$66.2

$45.47 A$64.9

1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 A$18.31

$13.99 A$19.98

-8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 A$6.68

$4.11 A$5.87

13.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.25 A$7.49

$4.18 A$5.97

25.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 A$4.20

$3.12 A$4.46

-5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 A$112

$152 A$217

-48.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 A$4.51

$3.46 A$4.94

-8.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$2.02

$1.56 A$2.23

-9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.23 A$61.7

$39.54 A$56.5

9.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.82

$1.45 A$2.06

-11.72%

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

$27.1K A$38.7K

$29.9K A$42.7K

-9.37%

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

$24.8K A$35.4K

$27.5K A$39.3K

-9.94%

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

$198 A$283

$251 A$358

-21.10%

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

$25.50 A$36.42

$27.76 A$39.64

-8.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 A$74.7

$58.0 A$82.8

-9.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 A$74.0

$70.7 A$101

-26.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 A$28.30

$23.25 A$33.20

-14.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.49 A$22.12

$17.83 A$25.46

-13.12%

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

$1,868 A$2,668

$2,358 A$3,368

-20.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K A$33.2K

$27.2K A$38.8K

-14.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 A$121

$80.5 A$115

5.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.4 A$86.3

$69.3 A$99.0

-12.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$170

$111 A$158

7.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$159

$127 A$182

-12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 A$1,874

$2,566 A$3,664

-48.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 A$1,669

$1,792 A$2,560

-34.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,082 A$2,974

$5,202 A$7,429

-59.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 A$2,938

$3,156 A$4,508

-34.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,557 A$9,364

$13.4K A$19.1K

-51.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,330 A$6,184

$8,727 A$12.5K

-50.38%

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 Denver: 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

Denver

$1.2K 48%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 53.4% $624

Groceries & Markets

Denver

$361 14.8%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 5.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver

$276 11.3%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 22.1% $61

Eating Out

Denver

$275 11.3%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 8.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Denver

$169 7%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 3.1% $5.3

Getting Around

Denver

$100 4.1%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 75.3% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Denver

$83 3.4%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 28.4% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,312 in Denver 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Denver versus $90 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $382 – making Denver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Denver

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

Same time as Denver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149

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

Denver Sydney 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Denver
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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

Denver vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,433 in Denver, $3,267 in Sydney – Denver comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,649 per month in Denver 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 Denver, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,312 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Denver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,868 per month in Denver and $2,358 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Denver, where all-in costs run around $2,433, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Denver it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Denver – 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.

For expats, Denver is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.