Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forster and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Forster: $2,595 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,595

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,595 in Forster versus $3,274 in Sydney.

Forster $2,595
Sydney $3,274

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Forster versus $4,873 in Sydney.

Forster $3,737
Sydney $4,873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,879 in Forster versus $6,471 in Sydney.

Forster $4,879
Sydney $6,471

Living in Forster costs roughly 21% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forster 92% above, Sydney 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.09

$17.27 A$24.65

1.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 A$131

$90.9 A$130

1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 A$15.21

$11.87 A$16.95

-10.19%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.09 A$5.84

-4.65%

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

$2.82 A$4.03

$2.80 A$3.99

0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.18

$2.18 A$3.11

1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 A$9.81

$8.25 A$11.77

-16.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.78

$6.99 A$9.97

-22.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.68 A$2.39

-2.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 A$4.16

$2.88 A$4.12

1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.35 A$3.36

1.28%

Eggs

$5.62 A$8.03

$5.39 A$7.70

4.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 A$17.14

$11.06 A$15.79

8.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.39

$8.92 A$12.73

5.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 A$24.09

$16.48 A$23.52

2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.14 A$5.91

-5.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.43

$3.22 A$4.60

-3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.85

$3.35 A$4.78

1.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 A$6.03

$4.34 A$6.19

-2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$3.38 A$4.83

-4.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.43 A$3.47

2.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.37 A$3.38

0.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.73

$1.17 A$1.67

3.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.92 A$64.1

$44.01 A$62.8

2.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$20.06

$14.23 A$20.31

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 A$5.66

$4.14 A$5.90

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.81

$4.39 A$6.26

-7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 A$4.04

$3.08 A$4.39

-8.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.7 A$121

$152 A$217

-44.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.99

$3.72 A$5.31

-5.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.79 A$2.55

-7.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.37 A$57.6

$41.82 A$59.7

-3.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 A$2.15

$1.44 A$2.06

4.86%

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

$30.0K A$42.8K

$29.6K A$42.3K

1.11%

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

$27.9K A$39.8K

$27.5K A$39.2K

1.47%

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

$252 A$360

$262 A$374

-3.54%

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

$27.69 A$39.52

$28.69 A$40.95

-3.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 A$80.7

$58.0 A$82.8

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 A$81.3

$74.9 A$107

-23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 A$24.87

$23.21 A$33.12

-24.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.45 A$24.91

$17.70 A$25.26

-1.41%

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

$2,354 A$3,360

$2,424 A$3,459

-2.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K A$39.8K

$33.3K A$47.5K

-16.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 A$115

$78.3 A$112

2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 A$102

$69.1 A$98.7

3.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$162

$112 A$160

0.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$186

$126 A$180

3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,985

$2,602 A$3,713

-46.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 A$1,737

$1,792 A$2,558

-32.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,287 A$3,264

$5,247 A$7,489

-56.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 A$2,561

$3,196 A$4,562

-43.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,826 A$8,316

$13.6K A$19.3K

-57.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,884 A$6,970

$8,711 A$12.4K

-43.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,862

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

6.02

-1.66%

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

Last update for Forster: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Forster

$1.2K 46.9%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7% 47.2% $575

Groceries & Markets

Forster

$379 14.6%

Sydney

$375 11.5% 0.9% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forster

$337 13%

Sydney

$348 10.6% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Forster

$285 11%

Sydney

$298 9.1% 4.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Forster

$178 6.9%

Sydney

$174 5.3% 2.4% $4.3

Getting Around

Forster

$108 4.2%

Sydney

$177 5.4% 64% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Forster

$92 3.5%

Sydney

$110 3.4% 20% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Forster and $2,602 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $92 in Forster vs $91 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $375 per month, with Sydney cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forster

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Forster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,554

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Forster Sydney 220 km

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Forster
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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

Forster vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,595 in Forster and $3,274 in Sydney, so Forster is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,893 in Forster and $4,912 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: $1,391 in Forster versus $2,602 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,354 in Forster versus $2,424 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $2,595 per month in Forster versus $3,274 in Sydney – Forster is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,595 in Forster versus $3,274 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Forster but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Forster 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, Forster and Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.