Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pakenham and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakenham: $2,643 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Pakenham
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Pakenham Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Pakenham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,643

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,643 in Pakenham versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Pakenham $2,643
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,761 in Pakenham versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Pakenham $3,761
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,880 in Pakenham versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Pakenham $4,880
Sydney $6,428

Living in Pakenham costs roughly 19% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pakenham 94% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 A$24.64

$17.50 A$24.87

-0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 A$118

$90.4 A$128

-7.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 A$17.16

$11.96 A$16.99

1.00%

Cappuccino

$4.02 A$5.71

$4.00 A$5.68

0.50%

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

$3.21 A$4.56

$2.81 A$4.00

14.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.50

$2.22 A$3.16

11.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.56 A$13.59

$8.13 A$11.56

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.47 A$12.04

$7.20 A$10.23

17.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.71

$1.70 A$2.42

-28.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 A$4.07

$2.94 A$4.17

-2.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 A$3.70

$2.51 A$3.57

3.98%

Eggs

$5.61 A$7.97

$5.66 A$8.04

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 A$12.07

$12.22 A$17.36

-30.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.78 A$13.90

$9.31 A$13.24

5.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 A$21.72

$16.87 A$23.97

-9.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 A$5.66

$3.90 A$5.54

2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.73

$3.22 A$4.58

-18.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.45

$3.43 A$4.88

-8.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 A$6.74

$4.33 A$6.16

9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.25

$3.35 A$4.75

-10.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.65

$2.40 A$3.41

7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 A$3.45

$2.34 A$3.32

3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.32

$1.16 A$1.65

40.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.16 A$35.75

$45.47 A$64.6

-44.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 A$17.95

$13.99 A$19.88

-9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.78

$4.11 A$5.84

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.35

$4.18 A$5.94

23.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.37

$3.12 A$4.44

-1.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 A$105

$152 A$216

-51.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.19

$3.46 A$4.92

26.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 A$2.03

$1.56 A$2.22

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.36 A$43.14

$39.54 A$56.2

-23.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.04

$1.45 A$2.05

-1.38%

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

$29.1K A$41.3K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-2.75%

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

$26.4K A$37.6K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-3.92%

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

$236 A$335

$251 A$356

-5.95%

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

$28.14 A$39.99

$27.76 A$39.44

1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 A$82.2

$58.0 A$82.4

-0.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.3 A$91.4

$70.7 A$100

-8.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.50 A$27.71

$23.25 A$33.04

-16.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$24.94

$17.83 A$25.33

-1.57%

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

$2,515 A$3,573

$2,358 A$3,351

6.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K A$43.2K

$27.2K A$38.6K

11.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.90 A$70.9

$69.3 A$98.5

-27.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 A$169

$111 A$157

7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$127 A$181

4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 A$2,078

$2,566 A$3,646

-42.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 A$1,804

$1,792 A$2,547

-29.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 A$3,052

$5,202 A$7,391

-58.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 A$2,635

$3,156 A$4,485

-41.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,533 A$7,862

$13.4K A$19.0K

-58.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,458 A$7,756

$8,727 A$12.4K

-37.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,851

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.92

-0.34%

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

Last update for Pakenham: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pakenham

$1.3K 48%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 41.2% $523

Groceries & Markets

Pakenham

$372 14.1%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 2.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pakenham

$322 12.2%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 4.6% $15

Eating Out

Pakenham

$311 11.8%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 3.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Pakenham

$172 6.5%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 1.5% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Pakenham

$99 3.8%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 6.9% $6.9

Getting Around

Pakenham

$98 3.7%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 80% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,463 in Pakenham and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Pakenham vs $90 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $382 per month, with Pakenham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Pakenham

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

Same time as Pakenham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,118

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pakenham Sydney 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pakenham
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

Pakenham vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pakenham wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pakenham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,964 in Pakenham and $4,900 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: $1,463 in Pakenham versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,515 in Pakenham versus $2,358 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Pakenham 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, Pakenham 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 Pakenham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.