Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Broken Hill

For one person, living is cheaper in Broken Hill: $2,371 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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 Broken Hill
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Broken Hill Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Broken Hill

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Broken Hill

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,267 in Sydney versus $2,371 in Broken Hill.

Sydney $3,267
Broken Hill $2,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,847 in Sydney versus $3,506 in Broken Hill.

Sydney $4,847
Broken Hill $3,506

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,428 in Sydney versus $4,641 in Broken Hill.

Sydney $6,428
Broken Hill $4,641

Living in Sydney is roughly 38% more expensive than in Broken Hill, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 140% above, Broken Hill 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$16.76 A$23.94

4.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$83.4 A$119

8.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.07

$9.11 A$13.01

31.28%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.71

$4.13 A$5.90

-3.15%

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

$2.81 A$4.02

$2.79 A$3.99

0.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.33 A$3.33

-4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.62

$7.47 A$10.66

8.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.28

$7.00 A$10.00

2.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.76 A$2.52

-3.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.19

$2.80 A$4.00

5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.59

$2.04 A$2.91

23.04%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.08

$5.54 A$7.91

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.44

$9.62 A$13.74

27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.30

$10.18 A$14.54

-8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.09

$16.35 A$23.35

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.25 A$6.07

-8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$2.85 A$4.06

12.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$2.98 A$4.26

15.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.19

$4.72 A$6.74

-8.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$3.03 A$4.32

10.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.34 A$3.34

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.23 A$3.19

4.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.56 A$2.22

-25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.9

$48.29 A$69.0

-5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.98

$15.24 A$21.76

-8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.87

$4.21 A$6.01

-2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.97

$5.47 A$7.82

-23.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.46

$2.70 A$3.85

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$76.7 A$109

98.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.94

$3.77 A$5.39

-8.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.80 A$2.57

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.5

$44.58 A$63.7

-11.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.52 A$2.17

-4.61%

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

$29.9K A$42.7K

$30.7K A$43.9K

-2.65%

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

$27.5K A$39.3K

$24.5K A$35.0K

12.30%

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

$251 A$358

$205 A$293

22.34%

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

$27.76 A$39.64

$25.11 A$35.87

10.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.8

$57.2 A$81.6

1.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$63.6 A$90.9

11.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.20

$15.15 A$21.63

53.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.46

$13.97 A$19.96

27.63%

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

$2,358 A$3,368

$2,372 A$3,388

-0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.8K

$21.7K A$30.9K

25.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$115

$69.0 A$98.5

16.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$99.0

$48.07 A$68.7

44.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$106 A$151

4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$182

$125 A$178

2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,664

$1,594 A$2,277

60.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,560

$1,070 A$1,528

67.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,429

$2,252 A$3,216

130.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,508

$1,720 A$2,457

83.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.1K

$5,079 A$7,253

163.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.5K

$4,926 A$7,035

77.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,881

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 24, 2026

Last update for Broken Hill: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Broken Hill

$1.1K 45.1% 40.3% $723

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Broken Hill

$383 16.1% 0.1% $0.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Broken Hill

$287 12.1% 14.6% $49

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Broken Hill

$283 11.9% 5.4% $16

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Broken Hill

$100 4.2% 42.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Broken Hill

$156 6.6% 10.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Broken Hill

$92 3.9% 13.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,566 in Sydney and $1,594 in Broken Hill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Sydney vs $83 in Broken Hill. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $383, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Broken Hill

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

19:47 7:47 PM

30 min behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

17,456

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Broken Hill 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Broken Hill

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 Broken Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Broken Hill is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,900 in Sydney and $3,556 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: $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,594 in Broken Hill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Broken Hill runs roughly 49% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,267 per month in Sydney versus $2,371 in Broken Hill – Broken Hill is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.