Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Coffs Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Coffs Harbour: $2,468 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Coffs Harbour
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Coffs Harbour Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Coffs Harbour

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Coffs Harbour

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,267 in Sydney versus $2,468 in Coffs Harbour.

Sydney $3,267
Coffs Harbour $2,468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,847 in Sydney versus $3,579 in Coffs Harbour.

Sydney $4,847
Coffs Harbour $3,579

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,428 in Sydney versus $4,690 in Coffs Harbour.

Sydney $6,428
Coffs Harbour $4,690

Living in Sydney is roughly 32% more expensive than in Coffs Harbour, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 140% above, Coffs Harbour 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.89

$14.25 A$20.27

22.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$104 A$148

-12.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.01

$8.87 A$12.62

34.84%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.69

$3.77 A$5.37

6.10%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.86 A$4.07

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$1.95 A$2.77

13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.57

$5.37 A$7.64

51.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.24

$5.48 A$7.80

31.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.52 A$2.17

11.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$2.64 A$3.75

11.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.40 A$3.41

4.58%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.05

$3.36 A$4.78

68.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.37

$8.69 A$12.36

40.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.25

$7.11 A$10.12

30.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.00

$13.76 A$19.58

22.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.55

$3.98 A$5.66

-2.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.59

$3.09 A$4.40

4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.47 A$4.94

-1.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$4.16 A$5.91

4.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.76

$1.43 A$2.03

134.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.44 A$3.47

-1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.52 A$3.59

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$2.37 A$3.37

-51.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.7

$32.01 A$45.52

42.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.90

$14.22 A$20.22

-1.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$6.05 A$8.60

-32.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$6.63 A$9.42

-36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$4.72 A$6.71

-33.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$2.11 A$3.00

63.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.59 A$2.26

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$35.69 A$50.8

10.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.32 A$1.87

9.85%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$28.9K A$41.2K

3.29%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$26.7K A$38.0K

3.09%

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

$251 A$357

$175 A$249

43.56%

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

$27.76 A$39.48

$10.59 A$15.06

162.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.5

$53.9 A$76.6

7.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$108 A$153

-34.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.07

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.35

$13.45 A$19.13

32.57%

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

$2,358 A$3,354

$2,183 A$3,105

8.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.7K

$11.8K A$16.7K

131.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$77.2 A$110

4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.6

$53.5 A$76.2

29.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$103 A$146

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$124 A$176

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,649

$1,399 A$1,990

83.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,549

$1,302 A$1,851

37.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,399

$2,111 A$3,002

146.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,489

$1,945 A$2,766

62.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$3,566 A$5,071

275.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$3,623 A$5,154

140.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,857

$3,275 A$4,658

25.74%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Coffs Harbour: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Coffs Harbour

$1.3K 52.7% 27.4% $491

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Coffs Harbour

$360 14.6% 5.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Coffs Harbour

$239 9.7% 28.9% $97

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Coffs Harbour

$243 9.8% 18.7% $56

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Coffs Harbour

$29 * 1.2% 83.5% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Coffs Harbour

$161 6.5% 8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Coffs Harbour

$135 5.5% 26.6% $28

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 $2,566 in Sydney and $1,399 in Coffs Harbour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 26% 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: $90 in Sydney vs $104 in Coffs Harbour. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $360, with Coffs Harbour cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Coffs Harbour

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

78,759

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sydney vs Coffs Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Coffs Harbour is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,399 in Coffs Harbour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,267 per month in Sydney versus $2,468 in Coffs Harbour – Coffs Harbour is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Coffs Harbour are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Coffs Harbour wins on affordability, Sydney on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.