Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Ballina, Australia

Name: Ballina
Address: Ballina, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,525 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $3,274 per month in Sydney vs $2,525 in Ballina, rent included.

Sydney $3,274
Ballina $2,525

A couple spends around $4,873 per month in Sydney vs $3,645 in Ballina, rent included.

Sydney $4,873
Ballina $3,645

A family of three spends $6,471 per month in Sydney vs $4,766 in Ballina, rent included.

Sydney $6,471
Ballina $4,766

Sydney costs about 30% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Ballina sit above the global median – Sydney by 142%, Ballina by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.65

$17.32 A$24.72

-0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$130

$83.4 A$119

8.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$16.95

$10.54 A$15.04

12.62%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.84

$4.05 A$5.79

0.99%

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

$2.80 A$3.99

$2.87 A$4.10

-2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.11

$2.28 A$3.26

-4.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.77

$7.68 A$10.96

7.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.97

$7.50 A$10.70

-6.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.39

$2.68 A$3.82

-37.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.12

$3.43 A$4.89

-16.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.36

$2.21 A$3.15

6.33%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.70

$5.58 A$7.97

-3.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.79

$6.16 A$8.80

79.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.73

$9.52 A$13.59

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.52

$14.50 A$20.69

13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.91

$3.60 A$5.14

15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$3.05 A$4.36

5.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$3.27 A$4.66

2.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.19

$3.47 A$4.95

25.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.83

$2.73 A$3.89

23.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.47

$2.50 A$3.56

-2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.38

$3.46 A$4.93

-31.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.67

$1.55 A$2.21

-24.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$62.8

$42.40 A$60.5

3.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.31

$14.17 A$20.23

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.90

$4.60 A$6.56

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.26

$5.11 A$7.29

-14.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.39

$2.68 A$3.82

14.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$82.9 A$118

83.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.31

$3.41 A$4.87

9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.55

$1.60 A$2.28

11.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$59.7

$39.99 A$57.1

4.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.32 A$1.88

9.09%

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

$29.6K A$42.3K

$29.3K A$41.8K

1.18%

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

$27.5K A$39.2K

$26.3K A$37.5K

4.62%

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

$262 A$374

$212 A$303

23.33%

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

$28.69 A$40.95

$27.41 A$39.13

4.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.8

0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$107

$55.5 A$79.2

35.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.12

$18.00 A$25.68

28.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.26

$14.11 A$20.14

25.44%

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

$2,424 A$3,459

$2,118 A$3,023

14.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$47.5K

$20.6K A$29.4K

61.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$77.1 A$110

1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$98.7

$53.8 A$76.8

28.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$160

$108 A$154

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$180

$122 A$175

2.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,713

$1,395 A$1,991

86.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,558

$1,207 A$1,723

48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,489

$2,275 A$3,247

130.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,562

$1,824 A$2,603

75.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.3K

$5,839 A$8,334

132.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.4K

$5,029 A$7,177

73.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,862

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

5.9

2.03%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ballina: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Ballina

$1.2K 47.8% 32.6% $585

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Ballina

$376 14.9% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Ballina

$298 11.8% 14.6% $51

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Ballina

$293 11.6% 1.7% $5.2

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Ballina

$105 4.2% 40.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Ballina

$163 6.4% 6.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Ballina

$84 3.3% 24.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,395 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney versus $83 in Ballina. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Sydney vs $376 in Ballina – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

8,911

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Ballina 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Ballina

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,912 per month in Sydney and $3,787 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,395 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,274 in Sydney and $2,525 in Ballina. That makes Ballina about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,424 per month in Sydney and $2,118 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,274 in Sydney and $2,525 in Ballina. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ballina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.