Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Goulburn and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Goulburn: $2,369 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Goulburn
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Goulburn Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Goulburn

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,369

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,369 per month in Goulburn vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Goulburn $2,369
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $3,337 per month in Goulburn vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Goulburn $3,337
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $4,306 per month in Goulburn vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Goulburn $4,306
Sydney $6,428

Goulburn is about 27% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Goulburn and Sydney sit above the global median – Goulburn by 74%, Sydney by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 A$24.90

$17.50 A$24.88

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 A$127

$90.4 A$128

-0.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 A$12.24

$11.96 A$16.99

-28.01%

Cappuccino

$3.20 A$4.55

$4.00 A$5.69

-20.00%

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

$2.86 A$4.07

$2.81 A$4.00

1.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.22 A$3.16

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 A$11.41

$8.13 A$11.56

-1.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 A$10.61

$7.20 A$10.23

3.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 A$1.35

$1.70 A$2.42

-44.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 A$2.47

$2.94 A$4.17

-40.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.27

$2.51 A$3.57

-8.37%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.09

$5.66 A$8.04

-11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 A$17.21

$12.22 A$17.36

-0.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.39

$9.31 A$13.24

1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 A$23.82

$16.87 A$23.98

-0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.52

$3.90 A$5.55

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 A$2.54

$3.22 A$4.58

-44.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 A$2.52

$3.43 A$4.88

-48.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.04

$4.33 A$6.16

-18.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.43

$3.35 A$4.76

-27.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 A$1.92

$2.40 A$3.41

-43.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 A$1.97

$2.34 A$3.32

-40.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 A$1.47

$1.16 A$1.65

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.00 A$64.0

$45.47 A$64.6

-1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 A$11.66

$13.99 A$19.89

-41.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.83

$4.11 A$5.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.21 A$5.99

$4.18 A$5.94

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.12 A$4.44

-8.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 A$118

$152 A$216

-45.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 A$4.05

$3.46 A$4.92

-17.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.34

$1.56 A$2.22

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 A$56.5

$39.54 A$56.2

0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.45 A$2.06

2.76%

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

$29.8K A$42.3K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-0.44%

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

$27.6K A$39.2K

$27.5K A$39.1K

0.30%

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

$105 A$149

$251 A$357

-58.12%

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

$27.97 A$39.76

$27.76 A$39.45

0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$80.8

$58.0 A$82.4

-2.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 A$86.5

$70.7 A$100

-13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 A$24.33

$23.25 A$33.05

-26.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 A$11.86

$17.83 A$25.34

-53.17%

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

$2,393 A$3,402

$2,358 A$3,352

1.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$39.5K

$27.2K A$38.6K

2.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$80.5 A$114

-0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.0 A$99.4

$69.3 A$98.5

0.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$160

$111 A$157

1.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$183

$127 A$181

1.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$1,987

$2,566 A$3,647

-45.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 A$1,743

$1,792 A$2,548

-31.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 A$3,324

$5,202 A$7,394

-55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 A$2,238

$3,156 A$4,487

-50.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,008 A$8,539

$13.4K A$19.0K

-55.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,683 A$8,078

$8,727 A$12.4K

-34.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,079 A$5,798

$4,118 A$5,853

-0.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

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

Last update for Goulburn: 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

Goulburn

$1.2K 51.8%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 46.2% $566

Groceries & Markets

Goulburn

$314 13.3%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 21.5% $68

Eating Out

Goulburn

$280 11.8%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 6.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Goulburn

$190 8%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 77.3% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Goulburn

$176 7.4%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 0.8% $1.5

Getting Around

Goulburn

$105 4.5%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 66.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Goulburn

$78 3.3%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 37.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Goulburn versus $2,566 in Sydney. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Goulburn versus $90 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $314 vs $382 – making Goulburn the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Goulburn

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

Same time as Goulburn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,963

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Goulburn Sydney 170 km

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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

Goulburn vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,554 per month in Goulburn and $4,900 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Goulburn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,398 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Goulburn. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Sydney, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,369 in Goulburn to $3,267 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.