Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Ballarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballarat: $1,902 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Ballarat
Learn more

Ballarat Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Ballarat

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Ballarat

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 Ballarat actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $1,902 in Ballarat.

Sydney $3,152
Ballarat $1,902

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $3,035 in Ballarat.

Sydney $4,710
Ballarat $3,035

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $4,168 in Ballarat.

Sydney $6,268
Ballarat $4,168

Living in Sydney is roughly 66% more expensive than in Ballarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 133% above, Ballarat 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$17.70 A$25.47

-0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$69.9 A$101

30.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$10.27 A$14.78

16.46%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.79 A$5.45

7.39%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$2.95 A$4.24

-3.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$1.89 A$2.72

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$6.06 A$8.72

25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$6.09 A$8.77

22.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.57 A$2.27

5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.65 A$3.82

4.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$2.32 A$3.35

4.31%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$4.09 A$5.88

37.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$10.56 A$15.20

10.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$9.96 A$14.33

-3.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$14.97 A$21.55

11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.51 A$5.04

15.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$3.02 A$4.34

7.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$3.11 A$4.48

10.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$4.68 A$6.73

-8.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$3.07 A$4.42

6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.55 A$3.67

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.35 A$3.38

-2.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$1.48 A$2.14

-18.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$34.39 A$49.49

27.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$12.66 A$18.21

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$2.31 A$3.33

68.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.11 A$4.48

25.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$2.76 A$3.97

10.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$69.9 A$101

115.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$2.53 A$3.65

33.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.34 A$1.93

16.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$26.64 A$38.33

50.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.18 A$1.70

18.64%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$28.4K A$40.9K

2.42%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$26.0K A$37.4K

15.90%

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

$223 A$320

$206 A$296

8.28%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$27.76 A$39.95

-2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$57.4 A$82.6

-2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$31.36 A$45.13

137.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$11.18 A$16.09

114.58%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$15.38 A$22.14

14.17%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$2,144 A$3,085

2.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$30.2K A$43.4K

-6.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$68.7 A$98.8

14.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$50.1 A$72.2

36.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$99.6 A$143

11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$923 A$1,329

170.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$671 A$965

154.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$1,288 A$1,854

283.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$1,454 A$2,092

107.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$4,622 A$6,651

184.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$3,449 A$4,963

142.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$3,136 A$4,512

31.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.55

5.23%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Ballarat

$671 35.3% 60.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Ballarat

$350 18.4% 7.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Ballarat

$291 15.3% 4.9% $15

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Ballarat

$280 14.7% 6.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Ballarat

$158 8.3% 10.3% $18

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Ballarat

$90 4.7% 48.1% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Ballarat

$62 3.3% 43.4% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $923 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 31% 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: $91.0 in Sydney vs $70.0 in Ballarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $350 per month, with Ballarat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Ballarat

🕒 Local time

01:57 1:57 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

105,348

💱 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

Sydney Ballarat 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Ballarat

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 Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $2,500 in Sydney versus $923 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,196 in Sydney versus $2,144 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,902 in Ballarat versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat 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 Ballarat 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.