Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Alice Springs

For one person, living is cheaper in Alice Springs: $1,798 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Alice Springs

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sydney and in Alice Springs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,245 in Sydney versus $1,798 in Alice Springs.

Sydney $3,245
Alice Springs $1,798

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,803 in Sydney versus $2,720 in Alice Springs.

Sydney $4,803
Alice Springs $2,720

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,362 in Sydney versus $3,641 in Alice Springs.

Sydney $6,362
Alice Springs $3,641

Living in Sydney is roughly 80% more expensive than in Alice Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 139% above, Alice Springs 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$17.27 A$24.85

0.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$83.0 A$119

8.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$10.70 A$15.40

11.40%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$4.28 A$6.16

-5.84%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.87 A$4.13

0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.82 A$4.06

-20.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$6.48 A$9.33

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$9.54 A$13.72

-28.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.43 A$2.05

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.10 A$3.03

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.78 A$2.57

41.01%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$5.10 A$7.33

8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$10.17 A$14.63

15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$8.29 A$11.94

11.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$14.50 A$20.87

15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$3.84 A$5.53

2.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$3.00 A$4.32

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$2.63 A$3.78

32.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$6.85 A$9.86

-36.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$2.49 A$3.58

33.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.28 A$3.28

5.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$2.43 A$3.50

-4.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$2.36 A$3.40

-51.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$28.22 A$40.60

57.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$13.77 A$19.82

-0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$3.22 A$4.64

24.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$5.59 A$8.04

-27.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$2.79 A$4.02

15.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$68.9 A$99.1

123.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$4.84 A$6.97

-26.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$1.55 A$2.24

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$27.74 A$39.92

42.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.35 A$1.94

9.63%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$37.6K A$54.1K

-21.43%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$23.0K A$33.0K

20.44%

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

$241 A$347

$213 A$306

13.57%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$28.21 A$40.59

-2.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$45.86 A$66.0

22.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$56.9 A$81.9

37.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$17.95 A$25.83

29.58%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$13.94 A$20.06

25.90%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$1,941 A$2,793

12.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$20.6K A$29.6K

35.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$73.1 A$105

9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$12.03 A$17.31

487.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$138 A$198

-19.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$120 A$173

7.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$1,405 A$2,022

76.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$518 A$746

242.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$1,267 A$1,823

285.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$765 A$1,101

304.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$4,502 A$6,478

197.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$4,696 A$6,757

78.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

$4,301 A$6,189

-5.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Alice Springs: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Alice Springs

$518 28.8% 70.8% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Alice Springs

$365 20.3% 3.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Alice Springs

$287 15.9% 11.9% $39

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Alice Springs

$296 16.5% 0.3% $0.9

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Alice Springs

$93 5.2% 48.1% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Alice Springs

$154 8.6% 12.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Alice Springs

$85 4.7% 25.1% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Sydney and $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alice Springs pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sydney vs $83.0 in Alice Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $365 per month, with Alice Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🕒 Local time

12:46 12:46 PM

11:16 11:16 AM

1 h 30 min behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

24,855

💱 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

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Between locations

Sydney Alice Springs 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Alice Springs

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

Sydney vs Alice Springs: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alice Springs wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alice Springs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Alice Springs. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,405 in Alice Springs. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alice Springs – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $90.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,798 in Alice Springs versus $3,245 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alice Springs but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Alice Springs 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 Alice Springs 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 Alice Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.