Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Buderim

For one person, living is cheaper in Buderim: $2,457 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Buderim
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Buderim Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Buderim

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Buderim

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

A single person spends $3,245 per month in Sydney vs $2,457 in Buderim, rent included.

Sydney $3,245
Buderim $2,457

A couple spends around $4,803 per month in Sydney vs $3,590 in Buderim, rent included.

Sydney $4,803
Buderim $3,590

A family of three spends $6,362 per month in Sydney vs $4,723 in Buderim, rent included.

Sydney $6,362
Buderim $4,723

Sydney costs about 32% more than Buderim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Buderim sit above the global median – Sydney by 139%, Buderim by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$17.64 A$25.38

-1.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$84.9 A$122

6.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$10.48 A$15.09

13.74%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$4.10 A$5.89

-1.71%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.81 A$4.04

2.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.29 A$3.29

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$7.79 A$11.21

1.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$7.74 A$11.13

-12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.50 A$2.16

14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.75 A$3.96

6.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$2.19 A$3.15

14.61%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$4.75 A$6.84

16.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$9.22 A$13.27

27.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$9.15 A$13.16

1.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$14.47 A$20.82

15.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$3.96 A$5.70

-1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$3.04 A$4.37

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$3.56 A$5.12

-2.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$4.56 A$6.56

-3.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$2.70 A$3.89

23.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.47 A$3.55

-2.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$2.34 A$3.36

-1.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.55 A$2.23

-25.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$43.91 A$63.2

0.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$13.90 A$20.00

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$4.68 A$6.73

-14.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$5.20 A$7.49

-22.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$2.00 A$2.88

61.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$78.8 A$113

95.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$3.48 A$5.01

2.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$1.45 A$2.09

8.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$41.92 A$60.3

-5.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.45 A$2.08

2.07%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$26.9K A$38.7K

9.91%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$25.9K A$37.3K

6.63%

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

$241 A$347

$176 A$254

36.88%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$27.95 A$40.21

-1.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$56.5 A$81.3

-0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$58.5 A$84.3

33.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$18.01 A$25.92

29.15%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$13.84 A$19.92

26.81%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$1,891 A$2,721

15.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$20.6K A$29.7K

34.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$87.8 A$126

-8.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$53.2 A$76.6

32.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$111 A$160

-0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$112 A$162

15.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$1,582 A$2,277

56.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$1,187 A$1,709

49.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$2,137 A$3,074

128.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$1,836 A$2,641

68.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$5,250 A$7,554

155.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$4,833 A$6,955

73.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

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 Buderim: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Buderim

$1.2K 48.3% 33.2% $590

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Buderim

$365 14.8% 3.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Buderim

$261 10.6% 19.8% $64

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Buderim

$297 12.1% 0.1% $0.3

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Buderim

$98 4% 45.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Buderim

$164 6.7% 6.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Buderim

$86 3.5% 23.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,582 in Buderim. 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 $90.0 in Sydney versus $85.0 in Buderim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $365 – making Buderim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Buderim

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

02:05 2:05 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

28,774

💱 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 Buderim 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Buderim

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 Buderim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 32% more than Buderim, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,867 per month in Sydney and $3,686 in Buderim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Buderim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Sydney and $85.0 in Buderim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,245 in Sydney and $2,457 in Buderim. That's a gap of about 32%.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,245 in Sydney and $2,457 in Buderim. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Buderim. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.