Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Derby Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Derby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,827 in Sydney versus $2,257 in Derby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,192 in Sydney versus $3,266 in Derby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,557 in Sydney versus $4,274 in Derby.

Living in Sydney is roughly 25% more expensive than Derby, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 111% above, Derby 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.13 A$22.58

$16.53 A$23.14

-2.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 A$110

$77.4 A$108

1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 A$13.86

$9.62 A$13.46

2.91%

Cappuccino

$3.26 A$4.57

$3.36 A$4.70

-2.98%

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

$2.55 A$3.58

$2.54 A$3.56

0.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 A$2.75

$2.12 A$2.97

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.32 A$8.85

$6.39 A$8.94

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 A$10.19

$7.01 A$9.82

3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.27

$1.50 A$2.10

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.76

$2.40 A$3.36

11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.25

$1.93 A$2.71

20.21%

Eggs

$4.97 A$6.96

$4.29 A$6.01

15.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 A$12.19

$8.64 A$12.10

0.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.67

$8.63 A$12.09

-3.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.14 A$19.80

$13.66 A$19.12

3.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.63

$3.28 A$4.59

0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 A$3.71

$2.87 A$4.01

-7.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.44

$2.86 A$4.01

10.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 A$6.01

$4.16 A$5.82

3.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.58

$2.44 A$3.42

4.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.22

$2.15 A$3.01

6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.00

$2.19 A$3.06

-2.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 A$1.74

$1.52 A$2.13

-18.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.15 A$45.01

$30.40 A$42.56

5.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 A$19.82

$15.62 A$21.87

-9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 A$6.58

$4.71 A$6.59

-0.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.29 A$7.41

$5.19 A$7.27

1.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.60

$2.68 A$3.75

22.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$199

$65.6 A$91.9

116.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 A$5.48

$3.60 A$5.04

8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.87 A$4.02

$1.60 A$2.24

79.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.9 A$74.0

$33.34 A$46.67

58.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.73

$1.19 A$1.66

4.20%

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

$28.5K A$39.8K

$29.2K A$40.9K

-2.70%

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

$22.2K A$31.0K

$22.4K A$31.3K

-0.96%

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

$200 A$280

$180 A$252

11.11%

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

$23.54 A$32.95

$27.46 A$38.44

-14.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 A$73.2

$51.7 A$72.4

1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 A$84.8

$48.45 A$67.8

24.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$29.31

$16.00 A$22.40

30.88%

Cinema Ticket

$15.77 A$22.07

$12.91 A$18.07

22.15%

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

$2,111 A$2,955

$1,617 A$2,263

30.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K A$26.0K

$11.9K A$16.7K

55.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.8 A$105

$66.9 A$93.6

11.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$80.4

$50.1 A$70.1

14.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$148

$98.5 A$138

7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$183

$107 A$150

22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 A$3,053

$1,285 A$1,799

69.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 A$2,072

$1,067 A$1,494

38.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,395 A$6,153

$2,026 A$2,837

116.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 A$3,755

$1,655 A$2,317

62.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$6,229 A$8,720

104.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,993 A$11.2K

$5,061 A$7,085

57.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,239 A$5,934

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

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

Last update for Sydney: April 26, 2026

Last update for Derby: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Sydney and $1,285 in Derby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $77.0 in Derby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $344 per month, with Derby 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 Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Derby differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,827 vs $2,257 including rent). Derby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,240 in Sydney and $3,386 in Derby to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,181 in Sydney versus $1,285 in Derby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Derby – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $79.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,257 in Derby versus $2,827 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Derby but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Derby 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 Derby 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 Derby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.