Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northam and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Northam: $2,498 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,498 in Northam versus $3,245 in Sydney.

Northam $2,498
Sydney $3,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,618 in Northam versus $4,803 in Sydney.

Northam $3,618
Sydney $4,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,737 in Northam versus $6,362 in Sydney.

Northam $4,737
Sydney $6,362

Living in Northam costs roughly 23% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northam 84% above, Sydney 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 A$28.37

$17.41 A$24.73

14.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.1 A$121

$90.3 A$128

-5.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 A$15.00

$11.92 A$16.94

-11.49%

Cappuccino

$4.48 A$6.36

$4.03 A$5.72

11.17%

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

$2.84 A$4.03

$2.88 A$4.10

-1.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.25

$2.23 A$3.16

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 A$11.79

$7.89 A$11.22

5.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.51

$6.78 A$9.64

19.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

$1.71 A$2.42

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 A$3.66

$2.94 A$4.18

-12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.82

$2.51 A$3.56

-21.12%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.36

$5.55 A$7.89

-19.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 A$9.05

$11.77 A$16.73

-45.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.12 A$12.96

$9.28 A$13.18

-1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 A$20.01

$16.70 A$23.72

-15.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.88

$3.92 A$5.56

-30.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.62

$3.16 A$4.50

2.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.89

$3.48 A$4.94

-1.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$4.38 A$6.23

12.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.11

$3.33 A$4.73

-13.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.81

$2.40 A$3.42

-17.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$2.31 A$3.28

-2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 A$1.04

$1.15 A$1.63

-36.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$58.8

$44.34 A$63.0

-6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.49 A$4.96

$13.71 A$19.47

-74.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.40 A$6.25

$4.00 A$5.68

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 A$4.99

$4.03 A$5.72

-12.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.15

$3.22 A$4.57

-9.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.6 A$114

$154 A$219

-47.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.02

$3.57 A$5.08

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.58 A$2.25

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.14 A$58.5

$39.44 A$56.0

4.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.48 A$2.11

-8.78%

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

$26.9K A$38.2K

$29.6K A$42.0K

-9.14%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$27.7K A$39.3K

6.51%

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

$196 A$278

$241 A$343

-18.87%

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

$24.09 A$34.24

$27.57 A$39.18

-12.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$91.4

$56.3 A$80.0

14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 A$80.2

$78.1 A$111

-27.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 A$25.31

$23.26 A$33.05

-23.43%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 A$24.59

$17.55 A$24.94

-1.42%

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

$2,328 A$3,307

$2,185 A$3,105

6.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K A$33.0K

$27.8K A$39.5K

-16.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$110

$80.0 A$114

-3.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.3 A$94.2

$70.7 A$100

-6.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$174

$111 A$157

10.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 A$229

$129 A$184

24.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 A$1,976

$2,477 A$3,519

-43.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 A$1,691

$1,777 A$2,525

-33.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 A$3,088

$4,885 A$6,941

-55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 A$2,533

$3,093 A$4,395

-42.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,780 A$8,213

$13.4K A$19.0K

-56.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,889 A$6,947

$8,375 A$11.9K

-41.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,788

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.92

-0.17%

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

Last update for Northam: 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

Northam

$1.2K 47.6%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8% 49.3% $587

Eating Out

Northam

$323 12.9%

Sydney

$297 9.2% 8.2% $26

Groceries & Markets

Northam

$314 12.6%

Sydney

$378 11.7% 20.5% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Northam

$284 11.4%

Sydney

$325 10% 14.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Northam

$192 7.7%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 8.5% $16

Getting Around

Northam

$103 4.1%

Sydney

$178 5.5% 73.1% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Northam

$91 3.7%

Sydney

$113 3.5% 24.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,391 in Northam and $2,477 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Northam vs $90 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $378 per month, with Northam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Northam

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

08:35 8:35 AM

3 h ahead of Northam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

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

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Between locations

Northam Sydney 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Northam
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

Northam vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Northam wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Northam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,747 in Northam and $4,867 in Sydney to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,391 in Northam versus $2,477 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Northam – a meal for two runs $85 versus $90 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,498 per month in Northam versus $3,245 in Sydney – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Northam 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, Northam 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.

Expats usually find Northam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.