Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Broken Hill Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Broken Hill

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Sydney versus $2,244 in Broken Hill.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,168 in Sydney versus $3,324 in Broken Hill.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,578 in Sydney versus $4,404 in Broken Hill.

Living in Sydney is roughly 23% more expensive than Broken Hill, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 106% above, Broken Hill 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 A$22.98

$16.11 A$22.44

2.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 A$110

$79.1 A$110

-0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 A$13.84

$9.48 A$13.21

4.75%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.71

$3.51 A$4.90

-3.70%

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

$2.55 A$3.55

$2.50 A$3.48

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.74

$2.16 A$3.02

-8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 A$9.30

$6.33 A$8.82

5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.24

$6.98 A$9.72

5.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.28

$1.43 A$2.00

13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.80

$2.40 A$3.34

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.17

$1.97 A$2.75

15.74%

Eggs

$5.04 A$7.03

$4.37 A$6.09

15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.43

$8.48 A$11.81

5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.63

$8.45 A$11.77

-1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 A$19.68

$13.64 A$19.01

3.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.51

$3.21 A$4.47

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.76

$2.75 A$3.83

-1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$2.95 A$4.11

6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$4.06 A$5.65

8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.41

$2.39 A$3.33

2.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.25

$2.09 A$2.91

11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.19 A$3.05

0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.74

$1.52 A$2.11

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.36 A$45.10

$30.68 A$42.76

5.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.67

$16.19 A$22.56

-12.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.49

$4.51 A$6.28

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$5.42 A$7.56

-1.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.57

$2.67 A$3.72

22.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$196

$65.1 A$90.8

116.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.56

$3.66 A$5.10

9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 A$4.08

$1.59 A$2.22

84.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 A$73.1

$32.90 A$45.84

59.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.74

$1.19 A$1.65

5.04%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$28.7K A$40.0K

2.60%

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

$22.7K A$31.6K

$22.2K A$31.0K

1.93%

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

$204 A$284

$183 A$255

11.47%

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

$24.13 A$33.62

$27.13 A$37.80

-11.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 A$72.3

$51.7 A$72.0

0.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$85.2

$47.81 A$66.6

27.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 A$29.04

$15.75 A$21.95

32.32%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 A$21.90

$13.15 A$18.33

19.47%

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

$2,074 A$2,890

$1,619 A$2,256

28.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K A$26.4K

$12.1K A$16.9K

56.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 A$102

$68.3 A$95.1

6.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 A$81.0

$51.0 A$71.0

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$151

$98.1 A$137

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$186

$109 A$152

21.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 A$3,057

$1,271 A$1,771

72.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 A$2,077

$1,053 A$1,467

41.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,416 A$6,154

$2,003 A$2,792

120.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 A$3,660

$1,673 A$2,331

56.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$18.6K

$5,685 A$7,922

135.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 A$10.6K

$4,981 A$6,941

52.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,193 A$5,843

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

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

Last update for Sydney: May 31, 2026

Last update for Broken Hill: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,194 in Sydney and $1,271 in Broken Hill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $79.0 in Broken Hill. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $341, with Broken Hill 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 Broken Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Broken Hill is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,138 in Sydney and $3,366 in Broken Hill to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,194 in Sydney versus $1,271 in Broken Hill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,074 in Sydney versus $1,619 in Broken Hill. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,244 in Broken Hill versus $2,759 in Sydney, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Broken Hill but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Broken Hill 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 Broken Hill 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 Broken Hill gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.