Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Burnie

For one person, living is cheaper in Burnie: $1,646 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Burnie
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Burnie Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Burnie

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Burnie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $1,646 in Burnie.

Sydney $3,152
Burnie $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $2,474 in Burnie.

Sydney $4,710
Burnie $2,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $3,301 in Burnie.

Sydney $6,268
Burnie $3,301

Living in Sydney is roughly 91% more expensive than in Burnie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 133% above, Burnie 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$18.62 A$26.80

-5.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$92.2 A$133

-0.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$5.60 A$8.06

113.57%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.88 A$5.58

4.90%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$3.39 A$4.87

-15.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$1.76 A$2.53

27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$4.25 A$6.11

78.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$5.83 A$8.39

27.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.85 A$2.66

-10.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.43 A$3.50

14.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$1.87 A$2.69

29.41%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$5.04 A$7.25

11.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$9.90 A$14.24

18.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$6.17 A$8.87

56.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$17.30 A$24.89

-3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.81 A$4.04

44.84%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$2.73 A$3.92

19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$2.14 A$3.08

60.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$2.84 A$4.08

50.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$2.52 A$3.63

30.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.11 A$3.03

9.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.14 A$3.08

7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$1.66 A$2.39

-27.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$36.64 A$52.7

19.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$14.64 A$21.06

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$3.46 A$4.97

12.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$5.43 A$7.82

-27.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.89 A$2.72

60.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$2.67 A$3.84

26.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$2.05 A$2.96

-23.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$41.09 A$59.1

-2.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.29 A$1.86

8.53%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$26.9K A$38.7K

8.16%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$31.2K A$44.8K

-3.30%

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

$223 A$320

$210 A$302

6.20%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$21.19 A$30.49

28.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$48.00 A$69.1

16.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$14.19 A$20.42

23.75%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$2,007 A$2,888

9.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$21.0K A$30.2K

34.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$77.3 A$111

1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$23.96 A$34.48

185.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$103 A$149

7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$95.6 A$138

40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$815 A$1,173

206.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$584 A$840

192.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$1,117 A$1,607

342.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$833 A$1,199

262.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$4,999 A$7,193

-17.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.6

4.29%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Burnie: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Burnie

$584 35.5% 65.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Burnie

$334 20.3% 11.9% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Burnie

$279 16.9% 8.8% $27

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Burnie

$266 16.2% 11% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Burnie

$135 8.2% 23.6% $42

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Burnie

$21 * 1.3% 88.2% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Burnie

$28 * 1.7% 74.1% $81

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $815 in Burnie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnie pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Sydney vs $92.0 in Burnie. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $334, with Burnie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Burnie

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

20,267

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Sydney Burnie 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Burnie

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 Burnie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnie is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Burnie. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $815 in Burnie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,152 per month in Sydney versus $1,646 in Burnie – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,646 in Burnie versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Burnie but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Burnie 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 Burnie 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 Burnie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.