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: $2,842 in Sydney versus $2,186 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,242 in Sydney versus $3,078 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,641 in Sydney versus $3,970 in Carlton.

Living in Sydney is roughly 30% more expensive than Carlton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 111% above, Carlton 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.37 A$23.13

$19.53 A$27.59

-16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 A$112

$63.8 A$90.2

24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.75

$9.39 A$13.27

3.62%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.82

$2.74 A$3.86

24.45%

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

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.47 A$3.50

1.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 A$2.82

$1.92 A$2.71

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 A$9.44

$6.23 A$8.80

7.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.38

$6.03 A$8.52

21.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.07 A$1.51

51.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.77

$1.69 A$2.39

57.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.27

$1.62 A$2.29

42.59%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.06

$3.05 A$4.31

63.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 A$12.57

$9.10 A$12.85

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.71

$9.10 A$12.86

-8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.26

$14.78 A$20.88

-2.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.54

$3.18 A$4.49

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.88

$2.66 A$3.76

3.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.50

$2.96 A$4.18

7.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 A$6.38

$3.96 A$5.59

14.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.46

$2.28 A$3.22

7.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.30

$2.01 A$2.84

16.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.10

$2.18 A$3.08

0.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.14 A$46.82

$28.59 A$40.40

15.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.61

$10.63 A$15.01

30.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.62

$4.60 A$6.51

1.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 A$7.52

$5.24 A$7.40

1.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.64

$2.89 A$4.09

13.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$196

$51.0 A$72.1

171.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 A$5.42

$3.64 A$5.14

5.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 A$4.07

$1.32 A$1.87

118.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 A$73.2

$24.67 A$34.85

109.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.74

$1.19 A$1.68

3.36%

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

$29.1K A$41.1K

$22.7K A$32.1K

27.89%

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

$22.9K A$32.4K

$13.1K A$18.5K

75.01%

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

$205 A$290

$75.2 A$106

172.71%

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

$23.85 A$33.69

$21.33 A$30.14

11.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$74.4

$43.40 A$61.3

21.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 A$86.2

$44.84 A$63.4

36.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 A$29.19

$17.80 A$25.14

16.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 A$21.80

$11.86 A$16.76

30.10%

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

$2,054 A$2,902

$1,210 A$1,710

69.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$26.0K

$11.4K A$16.2K

60.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$103

$68.3 A$96.5

7.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 A$83.0

$53.9 A$76.1

9.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$151

$75.5 A$107

41.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$185

$104 A$148

25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 A$3,039

$1,310 A$1,851

64.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 A$2,097

$1,120 A$1,583

32.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,496 A$6,352

$1,939 A$2,740

131.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,691 A$3,803

$1,618 A$2,286

66.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K A$18.3K

$6,925 A$9,784

87.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,544 A$10.7K

$4,589 A$6,484

64.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,223 A$5,967

$5,912 A$8,353

-28.57%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Carlton: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,151 in Sydney and $1,310 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 $64.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 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 30% in total monthly costs ($2,842 vs $2,186 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: $2,151 in Sydney versus $1,310 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,054 in Sydney versus $1,210 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,186 in Carlton versus $2,842 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 30% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.