Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Margaret River and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Margaret River: $2,566 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,566

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,566 per month in Margaret River vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Margaret River $2,566
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $3,723 per month in Margaret River vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Margaret River $3,723
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $4,880 per month in Margaret River vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Margaret River $4,880
Sydney $6,268

Margaret River is about 19% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Margaret River and Sydney sit above the global median – Margaret River by 90%, Sydney by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 A$28.52

$17.57 A$25.29

12.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 A$118

$91.5 A$132

-10.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 A$15.20

$11.96 A$17.21

-11.71%

Cappuccino

$4.42 A$6.36

$4.07 A$5.85

8.60%

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

$2.92 A$4.20

$2.85 A$4.10

2.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.14

$2.25 A$3.24

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.95

$7.60 A$10.94

9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.52 A$12.27

$7.43 A$10.69

14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 A$2.47

$1.66 A$2.38

3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 A$4.55

$2.78 A$4.00

13.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.85

$2.42 A$3.49

-18.18%

Eggs

$5.26 A$7.57

$5.64 A$8.12

-6.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$13.00

$11.71 A$16.85

-22.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 A$12.96

$9.66 A$13.89

-6.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 A$19.71

$16.75 A$24.10

-18.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.40

$4.07 A$5.85

9.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.25 A$4.68

-4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.92

$3.44 A$4.96

-0.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 A$7.23

$4.28 A$6.16

17.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.15

$3.28 A$4.72

-12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.76

$2.30 A$3.30

-16.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.33

$2.30 A$3.31

0.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.21 A$1.74

12.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.56 A$61.2

$43.71 A$62.9

-2.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 A$18.14

$13.88 A$19.97

-9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$6.07

$3.90 A$5.62

8.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 A$4.93

$3.91 A$5.63

-12.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.24

$3.04 A$4.38

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 A$118

$150 A$216

-45.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 A$5.15

$3.38 A$4.86

5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.08

$1.56 A$2.24

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.63 A$58.5

$40.01 A$57.6

1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.94

$1.40 A$2.01

-3.57%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-4.94%

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

$29.1K A$41.8K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-3.50%

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

$197 A$283

$223 A$320

-11.59%

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

$32.94 A$47.40

$27.16 A$39.08

21.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$92.5

$55.8 A$80.3

15.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 A$80.6

$74.6 A$107

-24.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.38 A$25.01

$23.99 A$34.52

-27.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.17 A$24.71

$17.56 A$25.27

-2.22%

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

$2,306 A$3,319

$2,196 A$3,160

5.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-18.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$111

$78.4 A$113

-1.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 A$94.1

$68.4 A$98.5

-4.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$177

$111 A$160

10.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 A$235

$134 A$193

21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 A$1,996

$2,500 A$3,598

-44.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 A$1,726

$1,709 A$2,460

-29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,170 A$3,123

$4,946 A$7,117

-56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 A$2,626

$3,022 A$4,349

-39.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,036 A$7,246

$13.2K A$18.9K

-61.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,814 A$6,928

$8,370 A$12.0K

-42.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,954 A$4,251

$4,113 A$5,919

-28.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.84

1.20%

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

Last update for Margaret River: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Margaret River

$1.2K 46.8%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 42.5% $510

Groceries & Markets

Margaret River

$362 14.1%

Sydney

$379 12% 4.6% $17

Eating Out

Margaret River

$322 12.6%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 7.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Margaret River

$294 11.5%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 3.9% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Margaret River

$193 7.5%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 8.6% $17

Getting Around

Margaret River

$105 4.1%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 65.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Margaret River

$90 3.5%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 21.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,387 in Margaret River versus $2,500 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 39% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Margaret River versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $379 – making Margaret River the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

22:19 10:19 PM

3 h ahead of Margaret River

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Margaret River Sydney 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Margaret River
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

Margaret River vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,849 per month in Margaret River and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margaret River, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82.0 in Margaret River and $91.0 in Sydney. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,566 in Margaret River and $3,152 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 23%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,566 in Margaret River and $3,152 in Sydney. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Margaret River – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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