Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubbo and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubbo: $2,561 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Dubbo
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Dubbo Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Dubbo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,561

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Dubbo vs $3,274 in Sydney, rent included.

Dubbo $2,561
Sydney $3,274

A couple spends around $3,660 per month in Dubbo vs $4,873 in Sydney, rent included.

Dubbo $3,660
Sydney $4,873

A family of three spends $4,760 per month in Dubbo vs $6,471 in Sydney, rent included.

Dubbo $4,760
Sydney $6,471

Dubbo is about 22% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Dubbo and Sydney sit above the global median – Dubbo by 89%, Sydney by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 A$25.12

$17.27 A$24.72

1.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

$90.9 A$130

-6.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.93

$11.87 A$17.00

-12.13%

Cappuccino

$4.06 A$5.81

$4.09 A$5.86

-0.73%

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

$2.87 A$4.11

$2.80 A$4.00

2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.16

$2.18 A$3.12

1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.65 A$10.96

$8.25 A$11.80

-7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.71 A$11.03

$6.99 A$10.00

10.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.68 A$2.40

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.96

$2.88 A$4.13

-3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.15

$2.35 A$3.37

-6.38%

Eggs

$4.82 A$6.91

$5.39 A$7.72

-10.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 A$13.19

$11.06 A$15.83

-16.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.04

$8.92 A$12.77

2.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.65 A$20.97

$16.48 A$23.59

-11.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$4.14 A$5.93

-17.15%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 A$5.40

$3.22 A$4.61

17.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$3.35 A$4.79

-14.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 A$8.39

$4.34 A$6.21

35.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.58

$3.38 A$4.84

-26.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.47

$2.43 A$3.48

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 A$3.33

$2.37 A$3.39

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.17 A$1.67

45.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.07 A$45.91

$44.01 A$63.0

-27.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 A$19.75

$14.23 A$20.37

-3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.68 A$6.70

$4.14 A$5.92

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 A$6.96

$4.39 A$6.28

10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.00

$3.08 A$4.41

-9.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.0 A$122

$152 A$217

-44.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 A$5.16

$3.72 A$5.33

-3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.32

$1.79 A$2.56

-9.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 A$57.7

$41.82 A$59.9

-3.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 A$1.75

$1.44 A$2.07

-15.28%

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

$29.1K A$41.7K

$29.6K A$42.4K

-1.71%

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

$26.1K A$37.3K

$27.5K A$39.4K

-5.22%

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

$206 A$295

$262 A$375

-21.21%

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

$27.38 A$39.19

$28.69 A$41.07

-4.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 A$118

$58.0 A$83.0

42.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 A$81.9

$74.9 A$107

-23.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.09 A$25.90

$23.21 A$33.22

-22.06%

Cinema Ticket

$14.07 A$20.14

$17.70 A$25.34

-20.51%

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

$2,166 A$3,101

$2,424 A$3,470

-10.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.9K

$33.3K A$47.7K

-39.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$78.3 A$112

0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 A$77.7

$69.1 A$98.9

-21.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$154

$112 A$161

-4.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$126 A$180

-2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 A$1,379

$2,602 A$3,724

-62.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,749

$1,792 A$2,565

-31.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 A$2,274

$5,247 A$7,511

-69.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 A$2,553

$3,196 A$4,576

-44.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,718 A$2,459

$13.6K A$19.4K

-87.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,949 A$7,085

$8,711 A$12.5K

-43.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,176 A$3,115

$4,107 A$5,879

-47.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.02

-1.99%

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

Last update for Dubbo: October 31, 2026

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubbo

$1.2K 47.7%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7% 46.7% $571

Groceries & Markets

Dubbo

$372 14.5%

Sydney

$375 11.5% 0.9% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubbo

$316 12.4%

Sydney

$348 10.6% 10.2% $32

Eating Out

Dubbo

$294 11.5%

Sydney

$298 9.1% 1.2% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Dubbo

$163 6.4%

Sydney

$174 5.3% 6.3% $10

Getting Around

Dubbo

$108 4.2%

Sydney

$177 5.4% 63.8% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Dubbo

$85 3.3%

Sydney

$110 3.4% 29.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Dubbo versus $2,602 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 89% higher in Sydney. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Dubbo versus $91 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $375 – making Dubbo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Dubbo

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

Same time as Dubbo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,808

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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

Dubbo vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,561 in Dubbo, $3,274 in Sydney – Dubbo comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Dubbo and $4,912 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubbo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $963 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Dubbo and $91 in Sydney. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Dubbo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubbo, where all-in costs run around $2,561, than in Sydney at $3,274. In Dubbo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dubbo – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Dubbo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.