Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Yarra and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in South Yarra: $2,514 a month against $3,267 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 South Yarra
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South Yarra Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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South Yarra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,514

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,514 in South Yarra versus $3,267 in Sydney.

South Yarra $2,514
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,591 in South Yarra versus $4,847 in Sydney.

South Yarra $3,591
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,668 in South Yarra versus $6,428 in Sydney.

South Yarra $4,668
Sydney $6,428

Living in South Yarra 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: South Yarra 85% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.10

$17.50 A$24.87

0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.6 A$119

$90.4 A$128

-7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.62 A$12.25

$11.96 A$16.99

-27.93%

Cappuccino

$3.61 A$5.13

$4.00 A$5.68

-9.75%

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

$2.06 A$2.93

$2.81 A$4.00

-26.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.51

$2.22 A$3.16

-20.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 A$14.34

$8.13 A$11.56

24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.31 A$11.81

$7.20 A$10.23

15.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.70 A$2.42

-7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 A$4.05

$2.94 A$4.17

-3.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 A$2.02

$2.51 A$3.57

-43.43%

Eggs

$4.12 A$5.85

$5.66 A$8.04

-27.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 A$15.24

$12.22 A$17.36

-12.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.74

$9.31 A$13.24

-26.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 A$21.27

$16.87 A$23.97

-11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.91

$3.90 A$5.54

-29.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.06

$3.22 A$4.58

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 A$2.01

$3.43 A$4.88

-58.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.02

$4.33 A$6.16

-34.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 A$1.94

$3.35 A$4.75

-59.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 A$3.07

$2.40 A$3.41

-10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.34 A$3.32

1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.23

$1.16 A$1.65

35.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.45 A$44.68

$45.47 A$64.6

-30.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.67 A$18.01

$13.99 A$19.88

-9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.56 A$7.90

$4.11 A$5.84

35.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.40

$4.18 A$5.94

24.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.84

$3.12 A$4.44

-13.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 A$122

$152 A$216

-43.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 A$6.30

$3.46 A$4.92

28.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.56 A$2.22

-10.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 A$42.54

$39.54 A$56.2

-24.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.45 A$2.05

-7.59%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

0.12%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-6.70%

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

$233 A$331

$251 A$356

-7.12%

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

$28.22 A$40.10

$27.76 A$39.44

1.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.43 A$58.9

$58.0 A$82.4

-28.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$79.5

$70.7 A$100

-20.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 A$21.66

$23.25 A$33.04

-34.45%

Cinema Ticket

$16.70 A$23.73

$17.83 A$25.33

-6.34%

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

$2,427 A$3,449

$2,358 A$3,351

2.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K A$42.6K

$27.2K A$38.6K

10.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$115

$80.5 A$114

0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$71.0

$69.3 A$98.5

-27.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$111 A$157

9.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$187

$127 A$181

3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,415 A$2,011

$2,566 A$3,646

-44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 A$1,740

$1,792 A$2,547

-31.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 A$3,164

$5,202 A$7,391

-57.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,812 A$2,574

$3,156 A$4,485

-42.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,985 A$8,504

$13.4K A$19.0K

-55.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,234 A$6,016

$8,727 A$12.4K

-51.49%

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 South Yarra: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Yarra

$1.2K 48.7%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 46.4% $568

Groceries & Markets

South Yarra

$325 12.9%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 17.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Yarra

$303 12%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 11.2% $34

Eating Out

South Yarra

$293 11.7%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 2.1% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

South Yarra

$172 6.9%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 1.2% $2.1

Getting Around

South Yarra

$108 4.3%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 62.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

South Yarra

$89 3.6%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 19% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,415 in South Yarra and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84 in South Yarra vs $90 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $382 per month, with South Yarra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 South Yarra

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

Same time as South Yarra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,147

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

South Yarra Sydney 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

South Yarra
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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

South Yarra vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Yarra is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,771 in South Yarra 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: $1,415 in South Yarra versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,514 per month in South Yarra versus $3,267 in Sydney – South Yarra is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in South Yarra runs roughly 44% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. South Yarra 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, South Yarra and Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find South Yarra 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.