Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Cambridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge: $2,044 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
Learn more

Cambridge Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Cambridge

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,044

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Cambridge

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $2,044 in Cambridge.

Sydney $3,152
Cambridge $2,044

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $2,830 in Cambridge.

Sydney $4,710
Cambridge $2,830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $3,617 in Cambridge.

Sydney $6,268
Cambridge $3,617

Living in Sydney is roughly 54% more expensive than in Cambridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 133% above, Cambridge 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$13.75 NZ$24.32

27.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$68.4 NZ$121

33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$8.74 NZ$15.45

36.84%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.45 NZ$6.10

17.97%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$1.93 NZ$3.41

47.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$1.99 NZ$3.52

13.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$6.08 NZ$10.75

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$6.63 NZ$11.73

12.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.51 NZ$2.67

9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.23 NZ$3.94

24.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$1.89 NZ$3.34

28.04%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$5.95 NZ$10.53

-5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$8.33 NZ$14.73

40.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$9.43 NZ$16.68

2.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$13.01 NZ$23.01

28.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.55 NZ$4.50

59.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$2.28 NZ$4.04

42.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$3.02 NZ$5.34

13.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$5.65 NZ$9.99

-24.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$2.11 NZ$3.73

55.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.56 NZ$2.76

47.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.27 NZ$4.02

1.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$1.08 NZ$1.92

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$25.11 NZ$44.41

74.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$10.40 NZ$18.39

33.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$3.44 NZ$6.08

13.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.84 NZ$6.79

1.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$2.72 NZ$4.81

11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$2.18 NZ$3.85

55.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-19.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$31.37 NZ$55.5

27.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.70 NZ$3.00

-17.65%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$25.1K NZ$44.4K

15.91%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$22.1K NZ$39.1K

36.24%

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

$223 A$320

$99.4 NZ$176

123.97%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$26.44 NZ$46.77

2.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$50.8 NZ$89.8

9.93%

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

$13.51 NZ$23.90

29.98%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$673 NZ$1,190

226.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$19.3K NZ$34.1K

46.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$62.0 NZ$110

26.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$37.37 NZ$66.1

83.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$93.1 NZ$165

19.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$105 NZ$186

27.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$584 NZ$1,033

327.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$1,122 NZ$1,985

52.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$1,158 NZ$2,048

327.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$1,449 NZ$2,563

108.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$4,539 NZ$8,027

190.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$3,931 NZ$6,953

112.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$2,585 NZ$4,571

59.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

-2.67%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Cambridge

$1.1K 54.9% 34.3% $587

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Cambridge

$324 15.9% 14.4% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Cambridge

$177 8.6% 42.2% $129

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Cambridge

$237 11.6% 20.6% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Cambridge

$134 6.6% 24.1% $43

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Cambridge

$23 * 1.1% 86.9% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Cambridge

$27 * 1.3% 75.4% $83

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 $584 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Sydney vs $68.0 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $324 per month, with Cambridge cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇳🇿 Cambridge

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

12:06 12:06 PM

2 h ahead of Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

21,400

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Cambridge 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Cambridge

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 59% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $584 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,196 in Sydney versus $673 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,044 in Cambridge versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge 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 Cambridge 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 Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.