Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Epping

For one person, living is cheaper in Epping: $2,637 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Epping
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Epping Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Epping

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,637

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Epping

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,274 in Sydney versus $2,637 in Epping.

Sydney $3,274
Epping $2,637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,873 in Sydney versus $3,717 in Epping.

Sydney $4,873
Epping $3,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,471 in Sydney versus $4,798 in Epping.

Sydney $6,471
Epping $4,798

Living in Sydney is roughly 24% more expensive than in Epping, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 142% above, Epping 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.72

$12.53 A$17.94

37.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$130

$64.3 A$92.1

41.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$17.00

$11.66 A$16.69

1.80%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.86

$3.12 A$4.47

31.09%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.46 A$3.53

13.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.55 A$3.65

-14.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.80

$8.16 A$11.68

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$10.00

$8.56 A$12.25

-18.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.40

$1.52 A$2.18

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.13

$2.15 A$3.08

33.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.37

$1.87 A$2.68

25.67%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.72

$5.28 A$7.56

2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.83

$10.12 A$14.49

9.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.77

$8.49 A$12.15

5.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.59

$15.02 A$21.50

9.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.93

$3.46 A$4.95

19.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.61

$2.80 A$4.01

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.79

$2.46 A$3.52

36.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.21

$3.47 A$4.97

25.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.84

$2.40 A$3.44

40.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.48

$2.21 A$3.16

9.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.39

$2.11 A$3.02

12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.67

$1.56 A$2.23

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$63.0

$27.46 A$39.30

60.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.37

$10.59 A$15.16

34.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.92

$4.44 A$6.35

-6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.28

$4.73 A$6.78

-7.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.41

$3.20 A$4.58

-3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$83.3 A$119

82.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.33

$3.59 A$5.14

3.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.56

$1.36 A$1.95

31.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$59.9

$27.60 A$39.51

51.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.26 A$1.81

14.29%

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

$29.6K A$42.4K

$17.4K A$24.9K

70.70%

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

$27.5K A$39.4K

$18.9K A$27.0K

45.79%

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

$262 A$375

$139 A$199

88.18%

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

$28.69 A$41.07

$28.02 A$40.11

2.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$83.0

$44.70 A$64.0

29.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$107

$56.4 A$80.7

32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.22

$17.89 A$25.61

29.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.34

$14.25 A$20.40

24.21%

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

$2,424 A$3,470

$1,669 A$2,389

45.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$47.7K

$21.7K A$31.1K

53.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$70.3 A$101

11.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$98.9

$48.67 A$69.7

42.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$119 A$171

-5.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$180

$107 A$152

18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,724

$1,490 A$2,134

74.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,565

$1,491 A$2,135

20.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,511

$2,359 A$3,377

122.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,576

$2,227 A$3,188

43.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.4K

$5,850 A$8,375

131.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.5K

$4,978 A$7,126

75.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,879

$4,256 A$6,093

-3.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

5.5

9.45%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Epping: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Epping

$1.5K 56.6% 16.8% $301

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Epping

$336 12.8% 10.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Epping

$212 8% 39.2% $137

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Epping

$251 9.5% 15.9% $47

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Epping

$106 4% 39.8% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Epping

$155 5.9% 10.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Epping

$85 3.2% 23% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,602 in Sydney and $1,490 in Epping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Epping pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91 in Sydney vs $64 in Epping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $336 per month, with Epping cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Epping

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

23,435

💱 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

On the map

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Highest

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Sydney Epping 16 km

From you

Sydney
Epping

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 Epping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Epping wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Epping the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Sydney. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,490 in Epping. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Epping – a meal for two runs $64 versus $91 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,274 per month in Sydney versus $2,637 in Epping – Epping is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Epping 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 Epping are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Epping gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.