Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Cranbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Cranbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,344 in Sydney versus $2,598 in Cranbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,844 in Sydney versus $3,647 in Cranbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,343 in Sydney versus $4,696 in Cranbourne.

Living in Sydney is roughly 29% more expensive than in Cranbourne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 143% above, Cranbourne 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 A$24.56

$9.22 A$12.86

90.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 A$132

$85.1 A$119

11.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 A$16.86

$12.71 A$17.74

-4.96%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.59

$2.80 A$3.90

43.21%

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

$2.87 A$4.00

$2.92 A$4.08

-1.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.18

$1.69 A$2.36

34.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 A$11.29

$7.26 A$10.13

11.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 A$9.97

$7.37 A$10.28

-2.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 A$2.54

$2.74 A$3.82

-33.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 A$3.80

$3.45 A$4.81

-20.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.27

$3.89 A$5.43

-39.85%

Eggs

$5.84 A$8.15

$4.56 A$6.36

28.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 A$18.00

$10.25 A$14.31

25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 A$13.55

$10.94 A$15.27

-11.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.78 A$23.41

$12.75 A$17.79

31.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 A$5.36

$3.30 A$4.61

16.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.30

$3.56 A$4.97

-13.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.74

$4.18 A$5.83

-18.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 A$6.39

$3.56 A$4.96

28.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.43

$3.42 A$4.77

-7.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.56

$2.26 A$3.15

12.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.44

$1.59 A$2.22

54.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 A$1.79

$1.64 A$2.28

-21.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.08 A$64.3

$50.9 A$71.0

-9.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 A$19.70

$23.29 A$32.49

-39.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.21 A$5.88

$8.78 A$12.25

-52.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 A$5.70

$5.29 A$7.39

-22.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 A$4.66

$1.41 A$1.96

136.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$153 A$213

$84.4 A$118

81.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$4.99

$6.82 A$9.52

-47.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.23

$1.48 A$2.07

8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.39 A$57.8

$25.27 A$35.26

63.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.91

$1.36 A$1.90

0.74%

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

$30.6K A$42.7K

$28.4K A$39.6K

7.98%

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

$30.9K A$43.1K

$30.2K A$42.2K

2.15%

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

$230 A$321

$271 A$378

-15.03%

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

$27.25 A$38.03

$27.80 A$38.80

-1.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$79.2

$23.39 A$32.64

142.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 A$105

$40.25 A$56.2

87.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.26 A$33.86

$18.57 A$25.91

30.64%

Cinema Ticket

$17.75 A$24.77

$9.24 A$12.89

92.10%

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

$2,234 A$3,117

$2,388 A$3,332

-6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K A$41.2K

$18.5K A$25.8K

59.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 A$111

$78.1 A$109

1.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$73.2 A$102

$29.12 A$40.63

151.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$156

$113 A$157

-0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$183

$128 A$178

2.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 A$3,666

$1,542 A$2,152

70.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 A$2,524

$1,148 A$1,602

57.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,241 A$7,314

$2,174 A$3,034

141.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,037 A$4,238

$1,912 A$2,669

58.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K A$19.1K

$6,783 A$9,465

102.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,339 A$11.6K

$4,559 A$6,362

82.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,164 A$5,811

$1,765 A$2,463

135.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.85

-0.17%

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

Last update for Sydney: August 29, 2026

Last update for Cranbourne: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,627 in Sydney and $1,542 in Cranbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 136% 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: $95.0 in Sydney vs $85.0 in Cranbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $387 vs $434, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cranbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Cranbourne differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($3,344 vs $2,598 including rent). Cranbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 136% 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: $2,627 in Sydney versus $1,542 in Cranbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,234 in Sydney versus $2,388 in Cranbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sydney pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Cranbourne is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Cranbourne 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 Cranbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.