Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rolleston and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Rolleston: $1,142 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Rolleston
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Rolleston Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Rolleston

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,142

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,142 per month in Rolleston vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Rolleston $1,142
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $2,160 per month in Rolleston vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Rolleston $2,160
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $3,178 per month in Rolleston vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Rolleston $3,178
Sydney $6,268

Rolleston is about 64% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Rolleston sits 15% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.22 NZ$25.14

$17.57 A$25.29

-19.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 NZ$120

$91.5 A$132

-25.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 NZ$15.54

$11.96 A$17.21

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$3.28 NZ$5.81

$4.07 A$5.85

-19.41%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.77

$2.85 A$4.10

-25.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 NZ$3.12

$2.25 A$3.24

-21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 NZ$11.70

$7.60 A$10.94

-12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 NZ$10.93

$7.43 A$10.69

-16.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.92

$1.66 A$2.38

-0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 NZ$3.19

$2.78 A$4.00

-34.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 NZ$2.66

$2.42 A$3.49

-38.02%

Eggs

$5.66 NZ$10.02

$5.64 A$8.12

0.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 NZ$12.53

$11.71 A$16.85

-39.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 NZ$16.58

$9.66 A$13.89

-2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 NZ$24.25

$16.75 A$24.10

-18.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 NZ$4.55

$4.07 A$5.85

-36.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.11

$3.25 A$4.68

-28.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$3.44 A$4.96

-20.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 NZ$9.01

$4.28 A$6.16

19.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$3.28 A$4.72

-45.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.57

$2.30 A$3.30

-36.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$2.30 A$3.31

-0.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NZ$1.05

$1.21 A$1.74

-51.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.39 NZ$41.36

$43.71 A$62.9

-46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 NZ$14.43

$13.88 A$19.97

-41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.89

$3.90 A$5.62

-14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.83

$3.91 A$5.63

-15.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

$3.04 A$4.38

-62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 NZ$4.32

$3.38 A$4.86

-27.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 NZ$3.02

$1.56 A$2.24

9.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.51 NZ$48.65

$40.01 A$57.6

-31.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$1.40 A$2.01

24.29%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-14.89%

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

$24.0K NZ$42.5K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-20.33%

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

$108 NZ$191

$223 A$320

-51.45%

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

$22.38 NZ$39.58

$27.16 A$39.08

-17.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.15 NZ$79.9

$55.8 A$80.3

-19.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 NZ$17.82

$17.56 A$25.27

-42.60%

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

$341 NZ$602

$2,196 A$3,160

-84.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,755 NZ$11.9K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-76.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 NZ$102

$78.4 A$113

-26.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 NZ$62.3

$68.4 A$98.5

-48.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 NZ$158

$111 A$160

-19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 NZ$215

$134 A$193

-9.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 NZ$491

$2,500 A$3,598

-88.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 NZ$449

$1,709 A$2,460

-85.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 NZ$1,813

$4,946 A$7,117

-79.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,914

$3,022 A$4,349

-64.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 NZ$3,576

$13.2K A$18.9K

-84.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,805 NZ$3,192

$8,370 A$12.0K

-78.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,358 NZ$7,707

$4,113 A$5,919

5.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.84

1.20%

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

Last update for Rolleston: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Rolleston

$300 26.3%

Sydney

$379 12% 26.2% $79

Accommodation & Living

Rolleston

$254 22.2%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 574% $1.5K

Eating Out

Rolleston

$241 21.1%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 24.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rolleston

$176 15.4%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 74% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Rolleston

$137 12%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 29.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Rolleston

$20 * 1.8%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 445% $90

Getting Around

Rolleston

$16 * 1.4%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 1015% $158

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $278 in Rolleston versus $2,500 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 6% higher in Rolleston, 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 $68.0 in Rolleston versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $379 – making Rolleston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Rolleston

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

16:47 4:47 PM

2 h behind Rolleston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,000

4,840,600

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rolleston Sydney 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Rolleston
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

Rolleston vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,142 in Rolleston, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 176% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,713 per month in Rolleston and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rolleston, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,142 in Rolleston and $3,152 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 176%.

Kindergarten costs $341 per month in Rolleston and $2,196 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rolleston, where all-in costs run around $1,142, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Rolleston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rolleston. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.