Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Caboolture

For one person, living is cheaper in Caboolture: $1,934 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Caboolture
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Caboolture Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Caboolture

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Caboolture

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

A single person spends $3,245 per month in Sydney vs $1,934 in Caboolture, rent included.

Sydney $3,245
Caboolture $1,934

A couple spends around $4,803 per month in Sydney vs $2,804 in Caboolture, rent included.

Sydney $4,803
Caboolture $2,804

A family of three spends $6,362 per month in Sydney vs $3,675 in Caboolture, rent included.

Sydney $6,362
Caboolture $3,675

Sydney costs about 68% more than Caboolture, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Caboolture sit above the global median – Sydney by 139%, Caboolture by 43%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$10.98 A$15.80

58.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$49.03 A$70.6

84.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$10.57 A$15.21

12.77%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$2.76 A$3.97

46.01%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$1.76 A$2.53

63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$1.49 A$2.15

49.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$7.00 A$10.08

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$7.82 A$11.26

-13.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.25 A$1.80

36.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.08 A$2.99

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.99 A$2.86

26.13%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$4.16 A$5.98

33.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$8.61 A$12.38

36.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$9.11 A$13.11

1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$12.05 A$17.34

38.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$3.09 A$4.45

26.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$2.50 A$3.60

26.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$3.43 A$4.93

1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$4.19 A$6.03

4.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$1.91 A$2.75

74.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$1.82 A$2.62

31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$2.06 A$2.97

12.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.92 A$1.32

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$28.93 A$41.62

53.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$14.14 A$20.35

-3.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$3.99 A$5.74

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$6.78 A$9.76

-40.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$1.59 A$2.28

102.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$79.4 A$114

94.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$2.18 A$3.14

63.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$1.09 A$1.57

44.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$33.30 A$47.92

18.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.29 A$1.86

14.73%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$24.5K A$35.3K

20.53%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$24.8K A$35.7K

11.62%

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

$241 A$347

$178 A$256

35.63%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$11.74 A$16.89

134.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$48.65 A$70.0

15.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$22.87 A$32.91

241.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$17.61 A$25.34

32.08%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$13.85 A$19.93

26.71%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$1,731 A$2,491

26.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$4,196 A$6,038

561.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$33.97 A$48.88

135.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$52.9 A$76.1

33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$97.6 A$140

13.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$74.4 A$107

74.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$1,083 A$1,558

128.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$898 A$1,292

97.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$1,521 A$2,189

221.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$1,463 A$2,105

111.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$5,831 A$8,391

129.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$5,025 A$7,230

66.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

$1,845 A$2,656

120.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.69

4.04%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Caboolture: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Caboolture

$898 46.4% 49.5% $879

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Caboolture

$321 16.6% 15.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Caboolture

$238 12.3% 26.7% $87

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Caboolture

$216 11.2% 27.1% $80

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Caboolture

$93 4.8% 47.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Caboolture

$116 6% 33.8% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Caboolture

$51 2.6% 55.4% $63

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,083 in Caboolture. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 121% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Sydney versus $49.00 in Caboolture. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $321 – making Caboolture the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Caboolture

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

22:29 10:29 PM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

29,534

💱 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

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Sydney Caboolture 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sydney vs Caboolture: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 68% more than Caboolture, 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 $2,901 in Caboolture. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,185 per month in Sydney and $1,731 in Caboolture. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Sydney, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Caboolture, where all-in costs run around $1,934, than in Sydney at $3,245. In Caboolture it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Caboolture – 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 Caboolture. 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.