Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gladstone and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Gladstone: $2,533 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Gladstone
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Gladstone Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Gladstone

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,533

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,533 in Gladstone versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Gladstone $2,533
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Gladstone versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Gladstone $3,459
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,385 in Gladstone versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Gladstone $4,385
Sydney $6,428

Living in Gladstone 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: Gladstone 86% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 A$25.13

$17.50 A$24.87

1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 A$115

$90.4 A$128

-10.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 A$16.90

$11.96 A$16.99

-0.59%

Cappuccino

$4.13 A$5.86

$4.00 A$5.68

3.25%

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

$3.10 A$4.41

$2.81 A$4.00

10.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 A$3.91

$2.22 A$3.16

23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 A$10.68

$8.13 A$11.56

-7.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.28 A$13.19

$7.20 A$10.23

28.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.17

$1.70 A$2.42

-10.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 A$3.88

$2.94 A$4.17

-7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.27

$2.51 A$3.57

-8.37%

Eggs

$4.85 A$6.89

$5.66 A$8.04

-14.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.23 A$13.12

$12.22 A$17.36

-24.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.08

$9.31 A$13.24

-1.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 A$20.60

$16.87 A$23.97

-14.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.45

$3.90 A$5.54

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$3.22 A$4.58

-3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.69

$3.43 A$4.88

-3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 A$6.64

$4.33 A$6.16

7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.74

$3.35 A$4.75

-21.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.38

$2.40 A$3.41

-0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.34 A$3.32

2.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.29

$1.16 A$1.65

38.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.88 A$59.5

$45.47 A$64.6

-7.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.91 A$19.77

$13.99 A$19.88

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.85 A$6.90

$4.11 A$5.84

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 A$7.60

$4.18 A$5.94

27.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 A$4.02

$3.12 A$4.44

-9.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 A$121

$152 A$216

-44.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 A$5.71

$3.46 A$4.92

16.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.56 A$2.22

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.05 A$62.6

$39.54 A$56.2

11.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 A$1.80

$1.45 A$2.05

-12.41%

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

$26.9K A$38.2K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-10.09%

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

$24.9K A$35.4K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-9.41%

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

$205 A$291

$251 A$356

-18.37%

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

$27.56 A$39.16

$27.76 A$39.44

-0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 A$77.2

$58.0 A$82.4

-6.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 A$79.7

$70.7 A$100

-20.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 A$25.05

$23.25 A$33.04

-24.17%

Cinema Ticket

$13.90 A$19.76

$17.83 A$25.33

-22.04%

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

$1,958 A$2,783

$2,358 A$3,351

-16.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$28.9K

$27.2K A$38.6K

-25.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$100.0

$80.5 A$114

-12.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 A$88.8

$69.3 A$98.5

-9.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 A$140

$111 A$157

-10.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$174

$127 A$181

-3.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 A$1,963

$2,566 A$3,646

-46.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,737

$1,792 A$2,547

-31.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 A$1,947

$5,202 A$7,391

-73.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 A$2,082

$3,156 A$4,485

-53.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,583 A$7,933

$13.4K A$19.0K

-58.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,980 A$7,076

$8,727 A$12.4K

-42.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,599 A$7,956

$4,118 A$5,851

35.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.92

-11.32%

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

Last update for Gladstone: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gladstone

$1.2K 48.3%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 46.6% $570

Groceries & Markets

Gladstone

$367 14.5%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 4.1% $15

Eating Out

Gladstone

$306 12.1%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 2.3% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gladstone

$287 11.3%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 17.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Gladstone

$159 6.3%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 9.6% $15

Getting Around

Gladstone

$107 4.2%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 63.9% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Gladstone

$84 3.3%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 26.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,381 in Gladstone and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gladstone pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81 in Gladstone vs $90 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $382 per month, with Gladstone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Gladstone

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

08:49 8:49 AM

1 h ahead of Gladstone

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,703

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

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Between locations

Gladstone Sydney 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Gladstone
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

Gladstone vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gladstone wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gladstone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Gladstone, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,381 in Gladstone 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 $2,533 per month in Gladstone versus $3,267 in Sydney – Gladstone is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Gladstone runs roughly 44% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Gladstone is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Gladstone and Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Gladstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.