Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Double Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Double Bay: $2,715 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Double Bay
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Double Bay Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Double Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Double Bay

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,715 in Double Bay, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Double Bay $2,715

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,760 in Double Bay, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Double Bay $3,760

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,804 in Double Bay, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Double Bay $4,804

Sydney costs about 20% more than Double Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Double Bay sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Double Bay by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.62 A$24.96

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$88.7 A$126

1.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.94

$10.49 A$14.86

14.01%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.67

$4.06 A$5.75

-1.48%

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

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.77 A$3.93

1.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.23 A$3.16

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.52

$8.23 A$11.67

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.20

$7.24 A$10.26

-0.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.41

$1.51 A$2.14

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.16

$2.82 A$4.00

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$2.41 A$3.42

4.15%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.02

$5.22 A$7.40

8.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.30

$11.96 A$16.94

2.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.20

$9.33 A$13.21

-0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.90

$15.10 A$21.39

11.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.53

$4.05 A$5.73

-3.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$3.22 A$4.56

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.86

$3.41 A$4.83

0.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.14

$4.23 A$6.00

2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.74

$3.18 A$4.50

5.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.40

$2.50 A$3.54

-4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.31

$2.32 A$3.29

0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.64

$1.21 A$1.71

-4.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.4

$44.37 A$62.9

2.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.82

$13.95 A$19.76

0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.82

$4.04 A$5.72

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.92

$4.17 A$5.91

0.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.85 A$4.04

9.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$215

$95.0 A$135

59.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.90

$3.43 A$4.86

0.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.59 A$2.25

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.0

$40.34 A$57.2

-1.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.31 A$1.86

10.69%

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

$29.9K A$42.4K

$28.4K A$40.3K

5.22%

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

$27.5K A$39.0K

$26.0K A$36.8K

5.98%

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

$251 A$355

$181 A$257

38.33%

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

$27.76 A$39.32

$27.08 A$38.36

2.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.2

$56.2 A$79.6

3.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$63.6 A$90.1

11.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$32.94

$16.23 A$22.99

43.25%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.25

$15.82 A$22.42

12.71%

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

$2,358 A$3,341

$2,311 A$3,273

2.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.5K

$20.3K A$28.8K

33.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$77.0 A$109

4.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.2

$56.5 A$80.0

22.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$109 A$155

1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$129 A$183

-1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,635

$1,338 A$1,896

91.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,539

$1,403 A$1,987

27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,369

$2,300 A$3,259

126.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,471

$1,807 A$2,560

74.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,555 A$7,869

141.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$4,323 A$6,124

101.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,834

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Double Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Double Bay

$1.4K 51.7% 21.7% $390

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Double Bay

$371 13.7% 3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Double Bay

$265 9.7% 21.4% $72

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Double Bay

$297 10.9% 0.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Double Bay

$118 4.3% 32.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Double Bay

$167 6.2% 4.1% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Double Bay

$95 3.5% 10.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,338 in Double Bay. 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 $89 in Double Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $371 – making Double Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Double Bay

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

4,651

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Double Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $4,073 in Double Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Double Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,338 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Double Bay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Sydney, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,267 in Sydney and $2,715 in Double Bay. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,715 in Double Bay to $3,267 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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