Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroochydore and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroochydore: $2,422 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Maroochydore
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Maroochydore Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,422

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,422 per month in Maroochydore vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Maroochydore $2,422
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Maroochydore vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Maroochydore $3,694
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $4,966 per month in Maroochydore vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Maroochydore $4,966
Sydney $6,428

Maroochydore is about 26% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Maroochydore and Sydney sit above the global median – Maroochydore by 78%, Sydney by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.46 A$20.56

$17.50 A$24.88

-17.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 A$137

$90.4 A$128

6.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 A$13.28

$11.96 A$17.00

-21.91%

Cappuccino

$3.84 A$5.46

$4.00 A$5.69

-4.00%

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

$2.62 A$3.72

$2.81 A$4.00

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.22 A$3.16

-7.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 A$5.83

$8.13 A$11.57

-49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.75 A$11.02

$7.20 A$10.24

7.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.70 A$2.42

-8.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 A$3.90

$2.94 A$4.18

-6.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.45

$2.51 A$3.58

-3.59%

Eggs

$4.89 A$6.96

$5.66 A$8.05

-13.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 A$12.87

$12.22 A$17.37

-25.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 A$13.56

$9.31 A$13.24

2.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.72 A$20.93

$16.87 A$23.99

-12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.31

$3.90 A$5.55

-4.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.45

$3.22 A$4.58

-2.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.76

$3.43 A$4.88

-23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 A$5.34

$4.33 A$6.16

-13.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.63

$3.35 A$4.76

-23.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$2.40 A$3.41

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 A$3.63

$2.34 A$3.33

8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.16 A$1.65

108.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.23 A$34.45

$45.47 A$64.7

-46.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 A$15.21

$13.99 A$19.89

-23.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.74 A$8.16

$4.11 A$5.84

39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 A$8.21

$4.18 A$5.94

38.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 A$1.01

$3.12 A$4.44

-77.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 A$112

$152 A$216

-48.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 A$2.91

$3.46 A$4.92

-40.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 A$2.18

$1.56 A$2.22

-1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.95 A$51.1

$39.54 A$56.2

-9.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.86

$1.45 A$2.06

-9.66%

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

$29.2K A$41.5K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-2.43%

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

$23.5K A$33.4K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-14.61%

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

$222 A$315

$251 A$357

-11.55%

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

$31.08 A$44.20

$27.76 A$39.47

11.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$76.1

$58.0 A$82.5

-7.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$81.5

$70.7 A$100

-18.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 A$25.10

$23.25 A$33.06

-24.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 A$18.71

$17.83 A$25.35

-26.19%

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

$2,150 A$3,058

$2,358 A$3,353

-8.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$16.7K

$27.2K A$38.7K

-56.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 A$109

$80.5 A$114

-4.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$77.4

$69.3 A$98.5

-21.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$146

$111 A$157

-7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$178

$127 A$181

-1.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 A$1,688

$2,566 A$3,648

-53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 A$1,655

$1,792 A$2,549

-35.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 A$2,938

$5,202 A$7,396

-60.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 A$2,976

$3,156 A$4,488

-33.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,072 A$8,634

$13.4K A$19.0K

-54.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,217 A$8,841

$8,727 A$12.4K

-28.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,778 A$3,950

$4,118 A$5,856

-32.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

5.92

-3.89%

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

Last update for Maroochydore: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maroochydore

$1.2K 48.1%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 54% $629

Groceries & Markets

Maroochydore

$371 15.3%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroochydore

$306 12.7%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 9.8% $30

Eating Out

Maroochydore

$244 10.1%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 22.3% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Maroochydore

$161 6.7%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 8.2% $13

Getting Around

Maroochydore

$91 3.8%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 92.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Maroochydore

$84 3.5%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 27.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,187 in Maroochydore 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.

Salaries run about 48% higher in Sydney. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96 in Maroochydore versus $90 in Sydney. Groceries tell a different story – $371 in Maroochydore vs $382 in Sydney – so Maroochydore wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Maroochydore

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

19:19 7:19 PM

1 h ahead of Maroochydore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,342

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Maroochydore Sydney 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Maroochydore
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

Maroochydore vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,422 in Maroochydore, $3,267 in Sydney – roughly 35% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,633 per month in Maroochydore 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 Maroochydore, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,187 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Maroochydore. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,150 per month in Maroochydore and $2,358 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Maroochydore, where all-in costs run around $2,422, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Maroochydore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maroochydore – 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 Maroochydore. 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.