Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Denver

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver: $2,433 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Denver
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Denver Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Denver

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,433 in Denver, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Denver $2,433

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,666 in Denver, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Denver $3,666

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,899 in Denver, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Denver $4,899

Sydney costs about 34% more than Denver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Denver sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Denver by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$15.29 A$21.83

14.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$82.3 A$117

9.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.07

$10.81 A$15.44

10.64%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.71

$3.62 A$5.17

10.50%

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

$2.81 A$4.02

$2.76 A$3.93

1.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.45 A$3.50

-9.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.62

$8.34 A$11.91

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.28

$7.17 A$10.24

0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.63 A$2.33

4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.19

$2.71 A$3.88

8.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.59

$2.51 A$3.58

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.08

$5.38 A$7.68

5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.44

$8.54 A$12.20

43.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.30

$8.64 A$12.33

7.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.09

$14.43 A$20.61

16.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$3.31 A$4.73

17.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$2.93 A$4.19

9.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$2.80 A$4.00

22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.19

$5.21 A$7.44

-16.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$2.52 A$3.60

32.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.22 A$3.17

8.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.48 A$3.55

-5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.75 A$2.49

-33.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.9

$46.36 A$66.2

-1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.98

$12.82 A$18.31

9.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.87

$4.68 A$6.68

-12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.97

$5.25 A$7.49

-20.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.46

$2.94 A$4.20

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$78.2 A$112

94.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.94

$3.16 A$4.51

9.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.41 A$2.02

10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.5

$43.23 A$61.7

-8.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.28 A$1.82

13.28%

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

$29.9K A$42.7K

$27.1K A$38.7K

10.34%

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

$27.5K A$39.3K

$24.8K A$35.4K

11.03%

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

$251 A$358

$198 A$283

26.74%

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

$27.76 A$39.64

$25.50 A$36.42

8.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.8

$52.3 A$74.7

10.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$51.9 A$74.0

36.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.20

$19.82 A$28.30

17.31%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.46

$15.49 A$22.12

15.11%

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

$2,358 A$3,368

$1,868 A$2,668

26.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.8K

$23.2K A$33.2K

16.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$115

$84.9 A$121

-5.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$99.0

$60.4 A$86.3

14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$119 A$170

-7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$182

$112 A$159

14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,664

$1,312 A$1,874

95.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,560

$1,169 A$1,669

53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,429

$2,082 A$2,974

149.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,508

$2,058 A$2,938

53.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.1K

$6,557 A$9,364

104.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.5K

$4,330 A$6,184

101.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,881

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Denver: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Denver

$1.2K 48% 34.8% $624

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Denver

$361 14.8% 5.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Denver

$276 11.3% 18.1% $61

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Denver

$275 11.3% 8% $24

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Denver

$100 4.1% 42.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Denver

$169 7% 3% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Denver

$83 3.4% 22.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,312 in Denver. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $82 in Denver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $361 – making Denver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Denver

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

149

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Denver 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Denver

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

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 Denver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,267 in Sydney, $2,433 in Denver – Denver comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,649 in Denver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Denver, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,312 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Denver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,358 per month in Sydney and $1,868 in Denver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Denver, where all-in costs run around $2,433, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Denver it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Denver – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Denver is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.