Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Dubbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubbo: $2,561 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Dubbo
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Dubbo Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Dubbo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Dubbo

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

A single person spends $3,274 per month in Sydney vs $2,561 in Dubbo, rent included.

Sydney $3,274
Dubbo $2,561

A couple spends around $4,873 per month in Sydney vs $3,660 in Dubbo, rent included.

Sydney $4,873
Dubbo $3,660

A family of three spends $6,471 per month in Sydney vs $4,760 in Dubbo, rent included.

Sydney $6,471
Dubbo $4,760

Sydney costs about 28% more than Dubbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Dubbo sit above the global median – Sydney by 142%, Dubbo by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.72

$17.55 A$25.12

-1.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$130

$85.3 A$122

6.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$17.00

$10.43 A$14.93

13.81%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.86

$4.06 A$5.81

0.74%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.87 A$4.11

-2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.21 A$3.16

-1.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.80

$7.65 A$10.96

7.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$10.00

$7.71 A$11.03

-9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.40

$1.56 A$2.23

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.13

$2.77 A$3.96

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.37

$2.20 A$3.15

6.82%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.72

$4.82 A$6.91

11.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.83

$9.22 A$13.19

19.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.77

$9.11 A$13.04

-2.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.59

$14.65 A$20.97

12.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.93

$3.43 A$4.90

20.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.61

$3.77 A$5.40

-14.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.79

$2.88 A$4.12

16.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.21

$5.86 A$8.39

-25.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.84

$2.50 A$3.58

35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.48

$2.43 A$3.47

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.39

$2.33 A$3.33

1.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.67

$1.70 A$2.43

-31.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$63.0

$32.07 A$45.91

37.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.37

$13.80 A$19.75

3.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.92

$4.68 A$6.70

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.28

$4.86 A$6.96

-9.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.41

$2.79 A$4.00

10.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$85.0 A$122

78.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.33

$3.60 A$5.16

3.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.56

$1.62 A$2.32

10.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$59.9

$40.33 A$57.7

3.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.22 A$1.75

18.03%

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

$29.6K A$42.4K

$29.1K A$41.7K

1.74%

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

$27.5K A$39.4K

$26.1K A$37.3K

5.50%

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

$262 A$375

$206 A$295

26.92%

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

$28.69 A$41.07

$27.38 A$39.19

4.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$83.0

$82.7 A$118

-29.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$107

$57.2 A$81.9

30.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.22

$18.09 A$25.90

28.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.34

$14.07 A$20.14

25.80%

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

$2,424 A$3,470

$2,166 A$3,101

11.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$47.7K

$20.2K A$28.9K

64.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$78.4 A$112

-0.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$98.9

$54.3 A$77.7

27.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$107 A$154

4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$180

$122 A$175

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,724

$963 A$1,379

170.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,565

$1,222 A$1,749

46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,511

$1,588 A$2,274

230.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,576

$1,784 A$2,553

79.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.4K

$1,718 A$2,459

689.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.5K

$4,949 A$7,085

76.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,879

$2,176 A$3,115

88.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

5.9

2.03%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dubbo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Dubbo

$1.2K 47.7% 31.8% $571

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Dubbo

$372 14.5% 0.9% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Dubbo

$316 12.4% 9.2% $32

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Dubbo

$294 11.5% 1.2% $3.6

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Dubbo

$108 4.2% 39% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Dubbo

$163 6.4% 6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Dubbo

$85 3.3% 22.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,602 in Sydney versus $963 in Dubbo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 89% higher in Sydney. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney versus $85 in Dubbo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $372 – making Dubbo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Dubbo

🕒 Local time

10:35 10:35 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

38,808

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sydney Dubbo 300 km

From you

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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 Dubbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,274 in Sydney, $2,561 in Dubbo – Dubbo comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,912 per month in Sydney and $3,841 in Dubbo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubbo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $963 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney and $85 in Dubbo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Dubbo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubbo, where all-in costs run around $2,561, than in Sydney at $3,274. In Dubbo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dubbo – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Dubbo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.