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: $2,799 in Sydney versus $2,121 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,217 in Sydney versus $3,085 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,636 in Sydney versus $4,048 in Carlton.

Living in Sydney is roughly 32% more expensive than in Carlton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 110% above, Carlton 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.02 A$23.01

$19.39 A$27.84

-17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 A$112

$64.7 A$93.0

20.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 A$13.81

$9.52 A$13.67

0.95%

Cappuccino

$3.33 A$4.78

$2.83 A$4.07

17.67%

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

$2.44 A$3.50

$2.37 A$3.40

2.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 A$2.86

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 A$9.45

$6.21 A$8.92

5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$10.12

$6.19 A$8.90

13.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.35

$1.10 A$1.59

48.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.99

$1.70 A$2.44

63.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.37

$1.62 A$2.32

45.06%

Eggs

$5.14 A$7.38

$2.99 A$4.29

71.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 A$12.40

$9.09 A$13.06

-5.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 A$12.41

$9.35 A$13.43

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 A$20.15

$14.44 A$20.74

-2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.68

$3.20 A$4.60

1.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.73 A$3.92

$2.55 A$3.66

7.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.54

$2.90 A$4.17

8.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 A$6.36

$4.11 A$5.90

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.62

$2.24 A$3.22

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.42

$2.01 A$2.89

18.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$3.05

$2.12 A$3.04

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.80

$1.33 A$1.92

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.62 A$46.86

$29.15 A$41.87

11.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.07 A$20.21

$10.65 A$15.30

32.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.78 A$6.87

$4.61 A$6.62

3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 A$7.80

$5.22 A$7.50

4.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 A$4.77

$2.98 A$4.28

11.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 A$207

$51.1 A$73.4

181.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 A$5.64

$3.52 A$5.06

11.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 A$4.21

$1.37 A$1.97

113.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 A$75.4

$24.90 A$35.77

110.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.73

$1.18 A$1.69

2.54%

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

$28.8K A$41.3K

$23.3K A$33.5K

23.32%

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

$22.9K A$32.9K

$12.9K A$18.5K

77.37%

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

$205 A$295

$74.2 A$107

176.66%

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

$24.05 A$34.55

$21.33 A$30.64

12.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 A$77.0

$43.62 A$62.7

22.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 A$88.5

$46.22 A$66.4

33.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.26 A$30.54

$18.02 A$25.88

17.98%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 A$22.16

$11.93 A$17.13

29.34%

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

$2,064 A$2,965

$1,177 A$1,691

75.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K A$27.0K

$11.5K A$16.5K

64.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 A$105

$69.2 A$99.4

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.3 A$83.7

$52.4 A$75.3

11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$154

$77.3 A$111

38.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$103 A$148

29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,130 A$3,059

$1,300 A$1,868

63.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 A$2,131

$1,147 A$1,648

29.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,449 A$6,391

$1,943 A$2,790

129.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 A$3,790

$1,599 A$2,297

65.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K A$18.9K

$6,052 A$8,692

117.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,985 A$11.5K

$5,426 A$7,794

47.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,200 A$6,033

$5,828 A$8,371

-27.93%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Carlton: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,130 in Sydney and $1,300 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 39% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Sydney vs $65.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $317 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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,799 vs $2,121 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Carlton. 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: $2,130 in Sydney versus $1,300 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,064 in Sydney versus $1,177 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,121 in Carlton versus $2,799 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 32% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.