Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Carlton Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Carlton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,827 in Sydney versus $2,166 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,192 in Sydney versus $3,100 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,557 in Sydney versus $4,034 in Carlton.

Living in Sydney is roughly 31% more expensive than Carlton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 111% above, Carlton 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 A$22.58

$19.76 A$27.67

-18.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 A$110

$65.7 A$92.0

19.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 A$13.86

$9.48 A$13.28

4.43%

Cappuccino

$3.26 A$4.57

$2.75 A$3.84

18.55%

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

$2.55 A$3.58

$2.46 A$3.44

3.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 A$2.75

$1.89 A$2.65

3.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 A$8.85

$6.11 A$8.55

3.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 A$10.19

$6.25 A$8.74

16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.27

$1.06 A$1.49

52.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.76

$1.76 A$2.47

52.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.25

$1.59 A$2.22

45.91%

Eggs

$4.97 A$6.96

$2.98 A$4.17

66.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 A$12.19

$9.01 A$12.62

-3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.67

$9.53 A$13.34

-12.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 A$19.80

$14.61 A$20.46

-3.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.63

$3.32 A$4.65

-0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.71

$2.57 A$3.59

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.44

$2.99 A$4.19

6.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 A$6.01

$3.94 A$5.52

8.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.58

$2.29 A$3.21

11.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.22

$2.12 A$2.96

8.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.00

$2.16 A$3.02

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 A$1.74

$1.33 A$1.87

-6.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.15 A$45.01

$28.38 A$39.74

13.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 A$19.82

$10.72 A$15.01

32.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 A$6.58

$4.50 A$6.30

4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 A$7.41

$5.08 A$7.11

4.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.60

$2.86 A$4.01

15.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$199

$51.7 A$72.4

174.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 A$5.48

$3.66 A$5.12

7.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 A$4.02

$1.33 A$1.86

115.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.9 A$74.0

$24.30 A$34.02

117.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.73

$1.18 A$1.65

5.08%

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

$28.5K A$39.8K

$23.4K A$32.8K

21.61%

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

$22.2K A$31.0K

$13.0K A$18.2K

70.22%

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

$200 A$280

$74.5 A$104

168.36%

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

$23.54 A$32.95

$20.74 A$29.04

13.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 A$73.2

$43.22 A$60.5

21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 A$84.8

$45.79 A$64.1

32.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$29.31

$17.87 A$25.02

17.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 A$22.07

$11.51 A$16.11

37.01%

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

$2,111 A$2,955

$1,209 A$1,693

74.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K A$26.0K

$11.6K A$16.2K

60.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 A$105

$68.2 A$95.5

9.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$80.4

$53.3 A$74.6

7.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$148

$75.1 A$105

40.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$183

$104 A$146

25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 A$3,053

$1,303 A$1,824

67.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 A$2,072

$1,119 A$1,566

32.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,395 A$6,153

$1,970 A$2,758

123.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 A$3,755

$1,619 A$2,267

65.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$6,695 A$9,373

89.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,993 A$11.2K

$4,849 A$6,789

64.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,239 A$5,934

$5,923 A$8,292

-28.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

6.19

2.42%

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

Last update for Sydney: April 26, 2026

Last update for Carlton: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Sydney and $1,303 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $66.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $319 per month, with Carlton cheaper across the board.

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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Carlton differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,827 vs $2,166 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Carlton earns 40% less. 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: $2,181 in Sydney versus $1,303 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,111 in Sydney versus $1,209 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,166 in Carlton versus $2,827 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton 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 Carlton 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.