Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southern Cross and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Southern Cross: $2,347 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,347

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Southern Cross versus $3,152 in Sydney.

Southern Cross $2,347
Sydney $3,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,547 in Southern Cross versus $4,710 in Sydney.

Southern Cross $3,547
Sydney $4,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,747 in Southern Cross versus $6,268 in Sydney.

Southern Cross $4,747
Sydney $6,268

Living in Southern Cross costs roughly 26% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Southern Cross 74% above, Sydney 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 A$28.30

$17.57 A$25.29

11.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 A$89.1

$91.5 A$132

-32.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$15.13

$11.96 A$17.21

-12.04%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.14

$4.07 A$5.85

-12.29%

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

$2.47 A$3.55

$2.85 A$4.10

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.44

$2.25 A$3.24

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 A$10.19

$7.60 A$10.94

-6.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$7.43 A$10.69

10.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.66 A$2.38

-5.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 A$3.80

$2.78 A$4.00

-5.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.14

$2.42 A$3.49

-9.92%

Eggs

$2.72 A$3.92

$5.64 A$8.12

-51.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.55

$11.71 A$16.85

-19.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 A$13.16

$9.66 A$13.89

-5.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 A$21.13

$16.75 A$24.10

-12.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.51

$4.07 A$5.85

-5.90%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$3.25 A$4.68

-4.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$3.44 A$4.96

-3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$4.28 A$6.16

11.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.07

$3.28 A$4.72

-13.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.43

$2.30 A$3.30

3.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.30 A$3.31

4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.21 A$1.74

21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.77 A$50.0

$43.71 A$62.9

-20.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 A$20.19

$13.88 A$19.97

1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.67

$3.90 A$5.62

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.67

$3.91 A$5.63

36.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.88

$3.04 A$4.38

-11.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.3 A$133

$150 A$216

-38.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.38 A$4.86

-11.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.40

$1.56 A$2.24

6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.90 A$56.0

$40.01 A$57.6

-2.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.80

$1.40 A$2.01

-10.71%

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

$24.1K A$34.7K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-17.18%

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

$28.1K A$40.5K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-6.64%

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

$201 A$289

$223 A$320

-9.85%

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

$28.18 A$40.56

$27.16 A$39.08

3.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$81.7

$55.8 A$80.3

1.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 A$71.6

$74.6 A$107

-33.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 A$25.77

$23.99 A$34.52

-25.34%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 A$19.20

$17.56 A$25.27

-24.03%

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

$2,080 A$2,994

$2,196 A$3,160

-5.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$25.9K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-36.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 A$116

$78.4 A$113

3.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 A$82.2

$68.4 A$98.5

-16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 A$141

$111 A$160

-11.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$134 A$193

-1.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 A$1,821

$2,500 A$3,598

-49.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 A$1,507

$1,709 A$2,460

-38.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 A$3,180

$4,946 A$7,117

-55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$3,022 A$4,349

-35.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,734 A$8,251

$13.2K A$18.9K

-56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,261 A$7,571

$8,370 A$12.0K

-37.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,010 A$10.1K

$4,113 A$5,919

70.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.84

7.02%

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

Last update for Southern Cross: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southern Cross

$1K 44.6%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 63.2% $662

Groceries & Markets

Southern Cross

$357 15.2%

Sydney

$379 12% 6% $21

Eating Out

Southern Cross

$300 12.8%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 0.6% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southern Cross

$286 12.2%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 7% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Southern Cross

$166 7.1%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 6.6% $11

Getting Around

Southern Cross

$114 4.9%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 51.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Southern Cross

$76 3.3%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 43.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Southern Cross and $2,500 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southern Cross pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Southern Cross vs $91.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $379 per month, with Southern Cross cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

3 h ahead of Southern Cross

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Southern Cross Sydney 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Southern Cross
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

Southern Cross vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Southern Cross and Sydney differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($2,347 vs $3,152 including rent). Southern Cross is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% higher in Southern Cross, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,265 in Southern Cross versus $2,500 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Southern Cross – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,347 per month in Southern Cross versus $3,152 in Sydney – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,347 in Southern Cross versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Southern Cross but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Southern Cross the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Southern Cross 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 Southern Cross gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.