Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Adelaide Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Adelaide

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Sydney versus $2,344 in Adelaide.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,241 in Sydney versus $3,408 in Adelaide.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,658 in Sydney versus $4,472 in Adelaide.

Living in Sydney is roughly 20% more expensive than in Adelaide, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 111% above, Adelaide 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 A$23.24

$16.61 A$23.80

-2.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 A$114

$82.0 A$117

-3.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.74

$9.80 A$14.04

-2.14%

Cappuccino

$3.29 A$4.72

$3.33 A$4.78

-1.20%

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

$2.46 A$3.53

$2.56 A$3.66

-3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.82

$2.30 A$3.29

-14.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.50

$6.56 A$9.40

1.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$10.21

$7.90 A$11.33

-9.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.36

$1.48 A$2.13

11.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.67 A$3.83

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$2.01 A$2.88

16.42%

Eggs

$5.03 A$7.21

$4.51 A$6.46

11.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.31

$9.88 A$14.15

-13.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 A$11.99

$8.44 A$12.09

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 A$20.10

$14.33 A$20.52

-2.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.63

$2.82 A$4.04

14.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.94

$2.64 A$3.78

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.56

$3.00 A$4.29

6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.25

$3.92 A$5.62

11.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.51

$2.65 A$3.80

-7.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.38

$2.13 A$3.06

10.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.18 A$3.12

-0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.59 A$2.28

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.49 A$46.55

$29.05 A$41.62

11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 A$6.62

$4.38 A$6.28

5.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 A$7.60

$5.28 A$7.56

0.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 A$4.56

$2.82 A$4.04

12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 A$205

$74.5 A$107

91.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 A$5.48

$4.33 A$6.21

-11.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 A$4.35

$1.88 A$2.69

61.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 A$75.0

$42.82 A$61.4

22.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.71

$1.19 A$1.70

0.84%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$29.3K A$42.0K

-3.12%

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

$22.4K A$32.1K

$25.7K A$36.9K

-13.00%

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

$198 A$284

$211 A$302

-5.91%

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

$24.17 A$34.62

$25.72 A$36.85

-6.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$74.2

$51.3 A$73.5

1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 A$86.5

$36.92 A$52.9

63.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.22 A$30.40

$8.07 A$11.56

162.95%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 A$22.52

$14.07 A$20.15

11.73%

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

$2,085 A$2,988

$1,038 A$1,488

100.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K A$27.0K

$7,486 A$10.7K

151.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 A$108

$70.3 A$101

6.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 A$85.0

$53.6 A$76.9

10.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$152

$108 A$154

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$188

$103 A$147

28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 A$3,126

$1,309 A$1,875

66.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 A$2,157

$1,085 A$1,555

38.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,461 A$6,391

$2,038 A$2,920

118.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 A$3,865

$1,725 A$2,471

56.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K A$18.4K

$8,989 A$12.9K

42.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,341 A$10.5K

$6,127 A$8,778

19.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,217 A$6,042

$3,807 A$5,455

10.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

6.41

-1.09%

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

Last update for Sydney: July 13, 2026

Last update for Adelaide: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,182 in Sydney and $1,309 in Adelaide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $82.0 in Adelaide. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $344, with Adelaide cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sydney vs Adelaide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Adelaide differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,824 vs $2,344 including rent). Adelaide is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Sydney, 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: $2,182 in Sydney versus $1,309 in Adelaide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,085 in Sydney versus $1,038 in Adelaide. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,344 in Adelaide versus $2,824 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Adelaide but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Adelaide 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, Sydney and Adelaide 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 Adelaide gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.