Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muswellbrook and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Muswellbrook: $2,464 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Muswellbrook
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Muswellbrook Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Muswellbrook

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,464

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,464 per month in Muswellbrook vs $3,274 in Sydney, rent included.

Muswellbrook $2,464
Sydney $3,274

A couple spends around $3,555 per month in Muswellbrook vs $4,873 in Sydney, rent included.

Muswellbrook $3,555
Sydney $4,873

A family of three spends $4,646 per month in Muswellbrook vs $6,471 in Sydney, rent included.

Muswellbrook $4,646
Sydney $6,471

Muswellbrook is about 25% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Muswellbrook and Sydney sit above the global median – Muswellbrook by 82%, Sydney by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.92 A$24.15

$17.27 A$24.65

-2.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 A$122

$90.9 A$130

-5.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 A$15.12

$11.87 A$16.95

-10.78%

Cappuccino

$3.55 A$5.07

$4.09 A$5.84

-13.20%

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$3.16

$2.18 A$3.11

1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 A$9.89

$8.25 A$11.77

-16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 A$10.25

$6.99 A$9.97

2.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.71

$1.68 A$2.39

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.10

$2.88 A$4.12

-0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.12

$2.35 A$3.36

-6.81%

Eggs

$4.03 A$5.75

$5.39 A$7.70

-25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.41 A$14.86

$11.06 A$15.79

-5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 A$13.41

$8.92 A$12.73

5.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 A$22.70

$16.48 A$23.52

-3.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.16

$4.14 A$5.91

-29.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$3.22 A$4.60

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.93

$3.35 A$4.78

-17.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.72

$4.34 A$6.19

8.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.41

$3.38 A$4.83

-29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.43 A$3.47

2.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 A$3.88

$2.37 A$3.38

14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.17 A$1.67

45.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.81 A$59.7

$44.01 A$62.8

-5.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.06 A$20.07

$14.23 A$20.31

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.33 A$6.18

$4.14 A$5.90

4.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.65

$4.39 A$6.26

6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$3.98

$3.08 A$4.39

-9.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 A$121

$152 A$217

-44.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 A$4.99

$3.72 A$5.31

-5.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.32

$1.79 A$2.55

-8.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.91 A$58.4

$41.82 A$59.7

-2.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.91

$1.44 A$2.06

-6.94%

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

$29.8K A$42.5K

$29.6K A$42.3K

0.45%

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

$24.4K A$34.8K

$27.5K A$39.2K

-11.34%

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

$140 A$200

$262 A$374

-46.33%

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

$31.71 A$45.26

$28.69 A$40.95

10.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 A$72.0

$58.0 A$82.8

-13.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 A$81.1

$74.9 A$107

-24.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.89 A$25.54

$23.21 A$33.12

-22.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.55 A$19.35

$17.70 A$25.26

-23.45%

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

$2,166 A$3,091

$2,424 A$3,459

-10.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K A$28.8K

$33.3K A$47.5K

-39.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 A$98.1

$78.3 A$112

-12.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 A$87.1

$69.1 A$98.7

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 A$209

$112 A$160

30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$156

$126 A$180

-13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 A$1,989

$2,602 A$3,713

-46.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 A$1,769

$1,792 A$2,558

-30.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 A$3,168

$5,247 A$7,489

-57.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 A$2,577

$3,196 A$4,562

-43.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,757 A$8,217

$13.6K A$19.3K

-57.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,030 A$7,180

$8,711 A$12.4K

-42.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,414 A$9,154

$4,107 A$5,862

56.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

6.02

-13.12%

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

Last update for Muswellbrook: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muswellbrook

$1.2K 50.3%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7% 44.6% $553

Groceries & Markets

Muswellbrook

$358 14.5%

Sydney

$375 11.5% 4.8% $17

Eating Out

Muswellbrook

$279 11.3%

Sydney

$298 9.1% 6.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muswellbrook

$223 9%

Sydney

$348 10.6% 56.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Muswellbrook

$174 7%

Sydney

$174 5.3% 0% $0

Getting Around

Muswellbrook

$108 4.4%

Sydney

$177 5.4% 64% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Muswellbrook

$84 3.4%

Sydney

$110 3.4% 31.4% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,393 in Muswellbrook versus $2,602 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 56% higher in Muswellbrook, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Muswellbrook versus $91 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $375 – making Muswellbrook the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Muswellbrook

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Muswellbrook

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,000

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Muswellbrook 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

Muswellbrook vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,464 in Muswellbrook, $3,274 in Sydney – Muswellbrook comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,696 per month in Muswellbrook and $4,912 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muswellbrook, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,393 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,464 in Muswellbrook and $3,274 in Sydney. That makes Muswellbrook about 25% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Muswellbrook. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Muswellbrook, where all-in costs run around $2,464, than in Sydney at $3,274. In Muswellbrook it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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

For expats, Muswellbrook is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.