Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby, Australia and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Derby: $2,353 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Derby
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Derby Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Derby

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,353

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,353 in Derby versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Derby $2,353
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,668 in Derby versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Derby $3,668
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,983 in Derby versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Derby $4,983
Sydney $6,428

Living in Derby costs roughly 28% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Derby 73% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.57 A$27.81

$17.50 A$24.87

11.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 A$118

$90.4 A$128

-7.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 A$15.71

$11.96 A$16.99

-7.53%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$4.00 A$5.68

13.75%

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

$2.82 A$4.01

$2.81 A$4.00

0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.56

$2.22 A$3.16

13.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 A$9.40

$8.13 A$11.56

-18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.46 A$12.02

$7.20 A$10.23

17.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.70 A$2.42

-21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.12

$2.94 A$4.17

-1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.51 A$3.57

-11.55%

Eggs

$4.96 A$7.04

$5.66 A$8.04

-12.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 A$11.40

$12.22 A$17.36

-34.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 A$14.85

$9.31 A$13.24

12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 A$19.00

$16.87 A$23.97

-20.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 A$5.60

$3.90 A$5.54

1.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.50 A$4.98

$3.22 A$4.58

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.42

$3.43 A$4.88

-9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 A$6.14

$4.33 A$6.16

-0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 A$3.68

$3.35 A$4.75

-22.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.89

$2.40 A$3.41

14.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.34 A$3.32

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$1.16 A$1.65

31.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.60 A$54.9

$45.47 A$64.6

-15.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 A$17.30

$13.99 A$19.88

-12.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.95 A$7.04

$4.11 A$5.84

20.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.63

$4.18 A$5.94

11.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.78

$3.12 A$4.44

-14.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.0 A$102

$152 A$216

-52.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 A$5.72

$3.46 A$4.92

16.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.56 A$2.22

2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.43 A$51.8

$39.54 A$56.2

-7.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.94

$1.45 A$2.05

-5.52%

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

$25.6K A$36.3K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-14.47%

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

$28.8K A$41.0K

$27.5K A$39.1K

4.82%

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

$184 A$262

$251 A$356

-26.60%

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

$23.63 A$33.58

$27.76 A$39.44

-14.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 A$75.3

$58.0 A$82.4

-8.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 A$91.4

$70.7 A$100

-9.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.35 A$23.24

$23.25 A$33.04

-29.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 A$21.13

$17.83 A$25.33

-16.60%

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

$2,188 A$3,109

$2,358 A$3,351

-7.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K A$30.5K

$27.2K A$38.6K

-20.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 A$121

$80.5 A$114

5.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.33 A$70.1

$69.3 A$98.5

-28.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$171

$111 A$157

8.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$185

$127 A$181

2.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 A$2,003

$2,566 A$3,646

-45.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,054 A$1,497

$1,792 A$2,547

-41.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,991 A$2,829

$5,202 A$7,391

-61.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 A$2,898

$3,156 A$4,485

-35.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,153 A$8,742

$13.4K A$19.0K

-54.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,074 A$7,210

$8,727 A$12.4K

-41.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,851

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 Derby: 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

Derby

$1.1K 44.8%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 70.1% $739

Groceries & Markets

Derby

$361 15.4%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 5.8% $21

Eating Out

Derby

$316 13.4%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 5.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Derby

$261 11.1%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 29.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Derby

$173 7.4%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 0.7% $1.2

Getting Around

Derby

$95 4%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 85.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Derby

$94 4%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 13.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,410 in Derby and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Derby vs $90 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $382 per month, with Derby cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Derby

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

3 h ahead of Derby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,300

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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Highest

Between locations

Derby Sydney 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Derby
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

Derby vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derby and Sydney differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,353 vs $3,267 including rent). Derby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,530 in Derby 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: $1,410 in Derby versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Derby – a meal for two runs $83 versus $90 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,353 in Derby versus $3,267 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Derby but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Derby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Derby and Sydney are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Derby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.