Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunshine Coast: $2,343 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,343 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $3,267 in Sydney, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $2,343
Sydney $3,267

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $4,847 in Sydney, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $3,553
Sydney $4,847

A family of three spends $4,762 per month in Sunshine Coast vs $6,428 in Sydney, rent included.

Sunshine Coast $4,762
Sydney $6,428

Sunshine Coast is about 28% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sunshine Coast and Sydney sit above the global median – Sunshine Coast by 72%, Sydney by 140%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.19

$17.50 A$24.88

1.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 A$105

$90.4 A$128

-18.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$14.99

$11.96 A$17.00

-11.87%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.63

$4.00 A$5.69

-1.00%

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

$2.88 A$4.09

$2.81 A$4.00

2.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.90

$2.22 A$3.16

23.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 A$10.63

$8.13 A$11.57

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 A$13.09

$7.20 A$10.24

27.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.70 A$2.42

-21.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 A$2.79

$2.94 A$4.18

-32.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.51 A$3.58

-18.33%

Eggs

$4.74 A$6.74

$5.66 A$8.05

-16.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 A$15.88

$12.22 A$17.37

-8.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.36

$9.31 A$13.24

-14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 A$30.24

$16.87 A$23.99

26.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.90 A$5.55

-19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.50

$3.22 A$4.58

-23.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$3.43 A$4.88

-8.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.76

$4.33 A$6.16

-6.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$3.35 A$4.76

-35.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 A$2.39

$2.40 A$3.41

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.34 A$3.33

-5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.29

$1.16 A$1.65

99.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$47.13 A$67.0

$45.47 A$64.7

3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 A$22.09

$13.99 A$19.89

11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.83

$4.11 A$5.84

34.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 A$8.41

$4.18 A$5.94

41.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$3.12 A$4.44

-88.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.32 A$34.58

$152 A$216

-83.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 A$3.02

$3.46 A$4.92

-38.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.56 A$2.22

2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.31 A$51.6

$39.54 A$56.2

-8.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.45 A$2.06

-8.28%

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

$31.3K A$44.5K

$29.9K A$42.5K

4.67%

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

$31.1K A$44.2K

$27.5K A$39.1K

12.99%

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

$139 A$198

$251 A$357

-44.49%

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

$43.15 A$61.4

$27.76 A$39.47

55.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 A$94.9

$58.0 A$82.5

15.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$73.6

$70.7 A$100

-26.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 A$23.47

$23.25 A$33.06

-29.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 A$22.22

$17.83 A$25.35

-12.34%

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

$2,168 A$3,082

$2,358 A$3,353

-8.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 A$92.5

$80.5 A$114

-19.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$112 A$160

$69.3 A$98.5

62.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 A$137

$111 A$157

-12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 A$142

$127 A$181

-21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 A$1,921

$2,566 A$3,648

-47.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,607

$1,792 A$2,549

-36.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 A$3,426

$5,202 A$7,396

-53.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,881

$3,156 A$4,488

-35.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,540 A$7,878

$13.4K A$19.0K

-58.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,183 A$7,370

$8,727 A$12.4K

-40.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,508 A$4,989

$4,118 A$5,856

-14.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.92

-2.87%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 58.6% $662

Groceries & Markets

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 1.2% $4.5

Eating Out

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 35.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 3.9% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 28.1% $23

Getting Around

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 389% $140

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,351 in Sunshine Coast versus $2,566 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 17% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Sunshine Coast versus $90 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $382 – making Sunshine Coast the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

21:40 9:40 PM

1 h ahead of Sunshine Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

284,131

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sunshine Coast Sydney 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sunshine Coast
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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

Sunshine Coast vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,515 per month in Sunshine Coast and $4,900 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunshine Coast, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,351 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,343 in Sunshine Coast and $3,267 in Sydney. That’s a gap of about 39%.

Kindergarten costs $2,168 per month in Sunshine Coast and $2,358 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Sunshine Coast – 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 Sunshine Coast. 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.