Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,595 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $40,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Sydney, NS

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Sydney, NS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $1,595 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
Sydney, NS $1,595

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $2,519 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
Sydney, NS $2,519

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $3,443 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
Sydney, NS $3,443

New York, NY costs about 210% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Sydney, NS sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, Sydney, NS by 18%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$11.02 CA$15.57

123.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$63.5 CA$89.7

91.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$7.36 CA$10.40

88.99%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$2.84 CA$4.02

132.04%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.29 CA$3.23

67.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.06 CA$2.91

39.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.24 CA$3.16

-38.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.48 CA$3.51

88.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$2.41 CA$3.41

212.86%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$3.19 CA$4.50

85.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$6.29 CA$8.89

199.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$8.04 CA$11.36

115.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$13.06 CA$18.47

41.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$7.04 CA$9.96

-4.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.19 CA$1.68

75.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$1.43 CA$2.02

371.33%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$0.78 CA$1.10

419.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.95 CA$2.76

124.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$6.41 CA$9.06

-54.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$17.79 CA$25.15

5.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.21 CA$5.96

-11.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.08 CA$1.53

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$47.58 CA$67.3

195.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.10 CA$5.80

-25.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.17 CA$1.66

-4.27%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$25.6K CA$36.2K

38.44%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$19.0K CA$26.9K

36.84%

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

$219 $219

$88.1 CA$124

148.71%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$34.80 CA$49.20

110.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$73.5 CA$104

-1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$47.87 CA$67.7

156.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$3.40 CA$4.80

1890.29%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$6.93 CA$9.80

229.73%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$698 CA$987

377.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$67.6 CA$95.6

11.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$66.2 CA$93.6

-20.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$99.2 CA$140

22.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$105 CA$149

26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$900 CA$1,273

387.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$709 CA$1,002

341.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$1,770 CA$2,503

403.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$1,367 CA$1,932

291.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$2,501 CA$3,536

113.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.8

17.59%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Sydney, NS

$709 44.5% 77.3% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16.2% 52.7% $287

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Sydney, NS

$162 * 10.1% 59.9% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.3% 46.1% $168

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Sydney, NS

$152 9.5% 11.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Sydney, NS

$62 3.9% 63.3% $107

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Sydney, NS

$56 * 3.5% 66.4% $111

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $900 in Sydney, NS. 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 114% higher in New York, NY, 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 $122 in New York, NY versus $63.0 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $258 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

16:29 4:29 PM

17:29 5:29 PM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

30,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Sydney, NS 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Sydney, NS

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

New York, NY vs Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 210% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $2,392 in Sydney, NS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $698 in Sydney, NS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 112% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,595, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sydney, NS costs $1,595 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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