Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Hedland and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Hedland: $2,517 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Port Hedland
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Port Hedland Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,517

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,517 per month in Port Hedland vs $3,274 in Sydney, rent included.

Port Hedland $2,517
Sydney $3,274

A couple spends around $3,643 per month in Port Hedland vs $4,873 in Sydney, rent included.

Port Hedland $3,643
Sydney $4,873

A family of three spends $4,770 per month in Port Hedland vs $6,471 in Sydney, rent included.

Port Hedland $4,770
Sydney $6,471

Port Hedland is about 23% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Port Hedland and Sydney sit above the global median – Port Hedland by 86%, Sydney by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.47 A$25.00

$17.27 A$24.72

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$121

$90.9 A$130

-7.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.29

$11.87 A$17.00

-10.03%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.79

$4.09 A$5.86

-0.98%

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

$2.93 A$4.20

$2.80 A$4.00

4.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 A$3.28

$2.18 A$3.12

5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 A$11.21

$8.25 A$11.80

-5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.70 A$11.02

$6.99 A$10.00

10.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.26

$1.68 A$2.40

-5.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 A$3.96

$2.88 A$4.13

-4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.19

$2.35 A$3.37

-5.11%

Eggs

$4.84 A$6.92

$5.39 A$7.72

-10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 A$12.97

$11.06 A$15.83

-18.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 A$13.27

$8.92 A$12.77

3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 A$20.71

$16.48 A$23.59

-12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 A$5.33

$4.14 A$5.93

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.38

$3.22 A$4.61

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.76

$3.35 A$4.79

-0.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.77

$4.34 A$6.21

8.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 A$3.82

$3.38 A$4.84

-21.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$2.43 A$3.48

-0.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.43

$2.37 A$3.39

0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.28

$1.17 A$1.67

35.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.72 A$61.2

$44.01 A$63.0

-2.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 A$20.10

$14.23 A$20.37

-1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.90

$4.14 A$5.92

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.39

$4.39 A$6.28

17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 A$4.03

$3.08 A$4.41

-8.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.0 A$120

$152 A$217

-44.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 A$4.97

$3.72 A$5.33

-6.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.29

$1.79 A$2.56

-10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.98 A$58.7

$41.82 A$59.9

-2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.86

$1.44 A$2.07

-9.72%

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

$29.9K A$42.8K

$29.6K A$42.4K

0.92%

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

$26.6K A$38.0K

$27.5K A$39.4K

-3.33%

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

$206 A$294

$262 A$375

-21.45%

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

$27.81 A$39.82

$28.69 A$41.07

-3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 A$82.0

$58.0 A$83.0

-1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$80.7

$74.9 A$107

-24.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.67 A$25.29

$23.21 A$33.22

-23.87%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 A$20.22

$17.70 A$25.34

-20.23%

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

$2,113 A$3,025

$2,424 A$3,470

-12.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K A$29.7K

$33.3K A$47.7K

-37.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.7 A$108

$78.3 A$112

-3.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 A$78.1

$69.1 A$98.9

-21.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$155

$112 A$161

-3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$175

$126 A$180

-3.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 A$1,985

$2,602 A$3,724

-46.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 A$1,733

$1,792 A$2,565

-32.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 A$3,182

$5,247 A$7,511

-57.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,843 A$2,638

$3,196 A$4,576

-42.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,770 A$8,259

$13.6K A$19.4K

-57.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,965 A$7,108

$8,711 A$12.5K

-43.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,106 A$7,309

$4,107 A$5,879

24.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.02

-1.99%

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

Last update for Port Hedland: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Hedland

$1.2K 48.1%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7% 48.1% $582

Groceries & Markets

Port Hedland

$367 14.6%

Sydney

$375 11.5% 2.4% $8.8

Eating Out

Port Hedland

$296 11.8%

Sydney

$298 9.1% 0.8% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Hedland

$291 11.6%

Sydney

$348 10.6% 19.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Port Hedland

$162 6.5%

Sydney

$174 5.3% 6.9% $11

Getting Around

Port Hedland

$107 4.2%

Sydney

$177 5.4% 65.5% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Port Hedland

$85 3.4%

Sydney

$110 3.4% 30.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,387 in Port Hedland versus $2,602 in Sydney. 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 24% higher in Port Hedland, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Port Hedland versus $91 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $375 – making Port Hedland the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

01:27 1:27 AM

3 h ahead of Port Hedland

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,298

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Port Hedland Sydney 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Hedland
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

Port Hedland vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 30% more than Port Hedland, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,776 per month in Port Hedland and $4,912 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Hedland, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,387 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Port Hedland and $91 in Sydney. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Port Hedland. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,517 in Port Hedland and $3,274 in Sydney. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Port Hedland – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.