Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nowra NSW and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Nowra NSW: $2,649 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nowra NSW, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Nowra NSW
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,649
/mo nomad
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,267
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,649 per month in Nowra NSW vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Nowra NSW $2,649
  • Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $3,808 per month in Nowra NSW vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Nowra NSW $3,808
  • Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $4,968 per month in Nowra NSW vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Nowra NSW $4,968
  • Sydney $6,428

Nowra NSW is about 19% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Nowra NSW and Sydney sit above the global median – Nowra NSW by 95%, Sydney by 140%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.83 A$29.74
$17.50 A$24.99
19.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.7 A$128
$90.4 A$129
-0.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.57 A$15.10
$11.96 A$17.07
-11.62%
Cappuccino
$4.04 A$5.77
$4.00 A$5.71
1.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 A$4.42
$2.81 A$4.02
9.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 A$3.58
$2.22 A$3.17
12.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.65 A$12.36
$8.13 A$11.62
6.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.96 A$14.22
$7.20 A$10.28
38.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 A$1.84
$1.70 A$2.43
-24.12%
White Bread (500g)
$2.99 A$4.27
$2.94 A$4.19
1.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.57 A$3.67
$2.51 A$3.59
2.39%
Eggs
$5.28 A$7.54
$5.66 A$8.08
-6.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.82 A$16.89
$12.22 A$17.44
-3.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.72 A$13.88
$9.31 A$13.30
4.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.33 A$21.90
$16.87 A$24.09
-9.13%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 A$5.71
$3.90 A$5.57
2.56%
Banana (1kg)
$3.21 A$4.58
$3.22 A$4.60
-0.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 A$4.95
$3.43 A$4.90
1.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.02 A$7.17
$4.33 A$6.19
15.94%
Potato (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.50
$3.35 A$4.78
-5.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.87 A$4.09
$2.40 A$3.43
19.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.55
$2.34 A$3.34
5.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 A$1.99
$1.16 A$1.65
19.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.62 A$63.7
$45.47 A$64.9
-1.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.82 A$19.73
$13.99 A$19.98
-1.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.59 A$6.55
$4.11 A$5.87
11.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.49 A$7.84
$4.18 A$5.97
31.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.69 A$3.85
$3.12 A$4.46
-13.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$81.1 A$116
$152 A$217
-46.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.06 A$5.79
$3.46 A$4.94
17.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 A$2.27
$1.56 A$2.23
1.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.76 A$62.5
$39.54 A$56.5
10.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 A$1.87
$1.45 A$2.06
-9.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K A$39.8K
$29.9K A$42.7K
-6.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K A$37.5K
$27.5K A$39.3K
-4.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 A$262
$251 A$358
-26.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.16 A$38.79
$27.76 A$39.64
-2.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.6 A$80.8
$58.0 A$82.8
-2.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.5 A$76.3
$70.7 A$101
-24.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.21 A$21.71
$23.25 A$33.20
-34.58%
Cinema Ticket
$15.48 A$22.10
$17.83 A$25.46
-13.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,496 A$3,564
$2,358 A$3,368
5.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.2K A$28.8K
$27.2K A$38.8K
-25.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.4 A$111
$80.5 A$115
-3.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.0 A$80.0
$69.3 A$99.0
-19.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 A$153
$111 A$158
-3.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$135 A$192
$127 A$182
5.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,293 A$1,847
$2,566 A$3,664
-49.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,307 A$1,866
$1,792 A$2,560
-27.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,454 A$3,504
$5,202 A$7,429
-52.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,904 A$2,719
$3,156 A$4,508
-39.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,702 A$9,572
$13.4K A$19.1K
-49.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,378 A$7,680
$8,727 A$12.5K
-38.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nowra NSW
Sydney
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,118 A$5,881
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.95
5.92
0.51%

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

Last update for Nowra NSW: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nowra NSW
$1.3K
Sydney
$1.8K 37.2% $486
Groceries & Markets
Nowra NSW
$386
Sydney
$382 1% $3.7
Eating Out
Nowra NSW
$332
Sydney
$299 10% $33
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nowra NSW
$267
Sydney
$337 26% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Nowra NSW
$169
Sydney
$175 3.4% $5.7
Getting Around
Nowra NSW
$104
Sydney
$176 69.1% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Nowra NSW
$84
Sydney
$106 26% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,293 in Nowra NSW 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Nowra NSW versus $90 in Sydney. Groceries tell a different story – $386 in Nowra NSW vs $382 in Sydney – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Nowra NSW
🇦🇺 Sydney
🕒 Local time
21:37 9:37 PM
21:37 9:37 PM
Same time as Nowra NSW
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,598
4,840,600
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nowra NSW Sydney 130 km
From you
  • Nowra NSW
  • 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
Nowra NSW vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Nowra NSW and in Sydney compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,649 in Nowra NSW, $3,267 in Sydney – Nowra NSW comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Nowra NSW compared to Sydney?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,974 per month in Nowra NSW and $4,900 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Nowra NSW and Sydney?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nowra NSW, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,293 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Nowra NSW and Sydney?
Kindergarten costs $2,496 per month in Nowra NSW and $2,358 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Nowra NSW or Sydney?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,649 in Nowra NSW and $3,267 in Sydney. That makes Nowra NSW about 19% cheaper.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nowra NSW, where all-in costs run around $2,649, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Nowra NSW it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Nowra NSW and Sydney?
It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,649 in Nowra NSW to $3,267 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Nowra NSW or Sydney safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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