Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Forbes: $2,543 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

Jump to prices

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Forbes versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Forbes $2,543
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,751 in Forbes versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Forbes $3,751
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Forbes versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Forbes $4,958
Sydney $6,428

Living in Forbes costs roughly 22% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forbes 87% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 A$22.61

$17.50 A$24.87

-9.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.9 A$135

$90.4 A$128

5.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 A$16.07

$11.96 A$16.99

-5.43%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.00

$4.00 A$5.68

-12.00%

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

$2.99 A$4.24

$2.81 A$4.00

6.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.37

$2.22 A$3.16

6.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 A$9.92

$8.13 A$11.56

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 A$10.52

$7.20 A$10.23

2.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.41

$1.70 A$2.42

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.44

$2.94 A$4.17

-17.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.04

$2.51 A$3.57

-14.74%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.10

$5.66 A$8.04

-11.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.44

$12.22 A$17.36

-16.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.53

$9.31 A$13.24

2.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 A$19.49

$16.87 A$23.97

-18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 A$5.37

$3.90 A$5.54

-3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.27

$3.22 A$4.58

-6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.05

$3.43 A$4.88

3.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$4.33 A$6.16

13.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.55

$3.35 A$4.75

-25.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.63

$2.40 A$3.41

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.24

$2.34 A$3.32

-2.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.16 A$1.65

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.43 A$66.0

$45.47 A$64.6

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.57

$13.99 A$19.88

-11.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.75

$4.11 A$5.84

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 A$8.24

$4.18 A$5.94

38.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.78

$3.12 A$4.44

-14.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$152 A$216

-48.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 A$5.26

$3.46 A$4.92

6.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 A$2.45

$1.56 A$2.22

10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.70 A$64.9

$39.54 A$56.2

15.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.78

$1.45 A$2.05

-13.79%

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

$33.8K A$48.1K

$29.9K A$42.5K

13.12%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$27.5K A$39.1K

2.29%

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

$195 A$277

$251 A$356

-22.30%

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

$23.66 A$33.62

$27.76 A$39.44

-14.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.8

$58.0 A$82.4

-7.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 A$84.0

$70.7 A$100

-16.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 A$28.02

$23.25 A$33.04

-15.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$17.13

$17.83 A$25.33

-32.42%

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

$2,301 A$3,269

$2,358 A$3,351

-2.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$30.3K

$27.2K A$38.6K

-21.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$115

$80.5 A$114

0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 A$80.6

$69.3 A$98.5

-18.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$166

$111 A$157

5.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$176

$127 A$181

-2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 A$2,213

$2,566 A$3,646

-39.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,816

$1,792 A$2,547

-28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 A$3,499

$5,202 A$7,391

-52.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,901

$3,156 A$4,485

-35.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,428

$13.4K A$19.0K

-60.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,146 A$7,312

$8,727 A$12.4K

-41.03%

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 Forbes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 40.3% $515

Groceries & Markets

Forbes

$364 14.3%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 5% $18

Eating Out

Forbes

$275 10.8%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 8.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forbes

$272 10.7%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 23.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Forbes

$170 6.7%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 2.7% $4.6

Getting Around

Forbes

$101 4%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 73.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Forbes

$83 3.3%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 27.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Forbes and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Forbes vs $90 in Sydney. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $382, with Forbes cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forbes

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

Same time as Forbes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,481

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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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

Forbes vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,543 in Forbes and $3,267 in Sydney, so Forbes is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,814 in Forbes 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: $1,558 in Forbes versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,543 per month in Forbes versus $3,267 in Sydney – Forbes is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Forbes runs roughly 48% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,543 in Forbes versus $3,267 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Forbes but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Forbes 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, Forbes and Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.