Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newcastle, Australia and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Newcastle: $2,577 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
Learn more

Newcastle Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index

Jump to prices

Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,577 in Newcastle versus $3,245 in Sydney.

Newcastle $2,577
Sydney $3,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,805 in Newcastle versus $4,803 in Sydney.

Newcastle $3,805
Sydney $4,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in Newcastle versus $6,362 in Sydney.

Newcastle $5,033
Sydney $6,362

Living in Newcastle costs roughly 21% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Newcastle 90% above, Sydney 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.75 A$29.49

$17.41 A$24.73

19.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 A$147

$90.3 A$128

14.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$14.95

$11.92 A$16.94

-11.74%

Cappuccino

$3.82 A$5.42

$4.03 A$5.72

-5.21%

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

$3.29 A$4.68

$2.88 A$4.10

14.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.49

$2.23 A$3.16

-21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.85 A$12.57

$7.89 A$11.22

12.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 A$9.65

$6.78 A$9.64

0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 A$2.01

$1.71 A$2.42

-16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.84

$2.94 A$4.18

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.78

$2.51 A$3.56

-22.31%

Eggs

$4.67 A$6.63

$5.55 A$7.89

-15.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 A$14.45

$11.77 A$16.73

-13.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.59

$9.28 A$13.18

-4.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.94 A$22.64

$16.70 A$23.72

-4.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.06

$3.92 A$5.56

-9.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.20

$3.16 A$4.50

-6.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.12

$3.48 A$4.94

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 A$6.24

$4.38 A$6.23

0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.11

$3.33 A$4.73

-13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$2.40 A$3.42

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 A$3.56

$2.31 A$3.28

8.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$1.99

$1.15 A$1.63

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.88 A$45.29

$44.34 A$63.0

-28.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 A$15.13

$13.71 A$19.47

-22.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.34 A$6.17

$4.00 A$5.68

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 A$4.68

$4.03 A$5.72

-18.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 A$3.90

$3.22 A$4.57

-14.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$214

$154 A$219

-2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 A$3.52

$3.57 A$5.08

-30.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.58 A$2.25

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.98 A$58.2

$39.44 A$56.0

3.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$1.48 A$2.11

-19.59%

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

$29.7K A$42.3K

$29.6K A$42.0K

0.63%

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

$25.1K A$35.6K

$27.7K A$39.3K

-9.34%

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

$218 A$310

$241 A$343

-9.67%

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

$26.13 A$37.13

$27.57 A$39.18

-5.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 A$80.4

$56.3 A$80.0

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.94 A$63.9

$78.1 A$111

-42.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.86 A$25.38

$23.26 A$33.05

-23.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.09 A$20.02

$17.55 A$24.94

-19.72%

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

$2,158 A$3,067

$2,185 A$3,105

-1.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K A$19.4K

$27.8K A$39.5K

-50.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$80.0 A$114

0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.87 A$66.6

$70.7 A$100

-33.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$170

$111 A$157

7.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 A$167

$129 A$184

-9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 A$2,203

$2,477 A$3,519

-37.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 A$1,700

$1,777 A$2,525

-32.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 A$3,503

$4,885 A$6,941

-49.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 A$2,649

$3,093 A$4,395

-39.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K A$19.2K

$13.4K A$19.0K

0.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,833 A$8,288

$8,375 A$11.9K

-30.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,099 A$4,404

$4,074 A$5,788

-23.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.92

10.64%

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

Last update for Newcastle: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newcastle

$1.2K 46.4%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8% 48.5% $580

Groceries & Markets

Newcastle

$349 13.6%

Sydney

$378 11.7% 8.3% $29

Eating Out

Newcastle

$321 12.5%

Sydney

$297 9.2% 7.7% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newcastle

$301 11.7%

Sydney

$325 10% 8.1% $24

Getting Around

Newcastle

$172 6.7%

Sydney

$178 5.5% 4% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Newcastle

$164 6.4%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 7.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Newcastle

$73 2.8%

Sydney

$113 3.5% 54.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Newcastle and $2,477 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $104 in Newcastle vs $90 in Sydney. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $378, with Newcastle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Newcastle

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

508,437

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Newcastle Sydney 120 km

From you

Newcastle
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

Newcastle vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newcastle is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Newcastle. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,550 in Newcastle versus $2,477 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,158 in Newcastle versus $2,185 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sydney – a meal for two runs $90 versus $104 in Newcastle. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Newcastle is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Newcastle and Sydney are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Newcastle wins on affordability, Sydney on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.