Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Esperance Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Esperance

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,842 per month in Sydney vs $2,195 in Esperance, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,242 per month in Sydney vs $3,264 in Esperance, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,641 per month in Sydney vs $4,333 in Esperance, rent included.

Sydney costs about 29% more than Esperance, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Sydney and Esperance sit above the global median – Sydney by 111%, Esperance by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.37 A$23.13

$15.97 A$22.56

2.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 A$112

$76.7 A$108

3.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.75

$9.65 A$13.63

0.83%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.82

$3.44 A$4.86

-0.87%

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

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.50 A$3.53

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 A$2.82

$2.12 A$3.00

-5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 A$9.44

$6.31 A$8.91

5.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.38

$7.10 A$10.03

3.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.42 A$2.01

14.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.77

$2.36 A$3.33

13.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.27

$2.01 A$2.84

14.93%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.06

$4.35 A$6.15

14.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 A$12.57

$8.45 A$11.94

5.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.71

$8.28 A$11.70

0.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.26

$13.73 A$19.40

4.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.54

$3.33 A$4.70

-3.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.88

$2.80 A$3.96

-1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.50

$2.85 A$4.03

11.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 A$6.38

$4.00 A$5.65

13.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.46

$2.39 A$3.37

2.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.30

$2.12 A$3.00

10.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.10

$2.16 A$3.05

1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.82

$1.51 A$2.13

-14.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.14 A$46.82

$30.64 A$43.29

8.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.61

$13.31 A$18.81

4.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.62

$4.59 A$6.49

2.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 A$7.52

$5.29 A$7.47

0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.64

$2.58 A$3.65

27.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$196

$65.7 A$92.8

110.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 A$5.42

$3.56 A$5.03

7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 A$4.07

$1.55 A$2.19

85.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 A$73.2

$33.25 A$46.98

55.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.74

$1.19 A$1.68

3.36%

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

$29.1K A$41.1K

$28.8K A$40.7K

1.00%

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

$22.9K A$32.4K

$22.7K A$32.0K

1.13%

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

$205 A$290

$180 A$255

13.76%

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

$23.85 A$33.69

$27.35 A$38.64

-12.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$74.4

$52.9 A$74.7

-0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 A$86.2

$49.29 A$69.7

23.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 A$29.19

$15.94 A$22.53

29.61%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 A$21.80

$12.99 A$18.35

18.78%

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

$2,054 A$2,902

$1,613 A$2,279

27.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$26.0K

$12.1K A$17.1K

52.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$103

$66.6 A$94.1

9.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 A$83.0

$51.2 A$72.3

14.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$151

$94.7 A$134

12.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$185

$106 A$150

23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 A$3,039

$1,250 A$1,766

72.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 A$2,097

$1,077 A$1,522

37.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,496 A$6,352

$1,976 A$2,792

127.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,691 A$3,803

$1,663 A$2,350

61.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K A$18.3K

$6,161 A$8,705

110.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,544 A$10.7K

$5,193 A$7,337

45.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,223 A$5,967

$3,583 A$5,063

17.85%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Esperance: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,151 in Sydney versus $1,250 in Esperance. 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 18% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Sydney versus $77.0 in Esperance. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $334 – making Esperance the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Esperance: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,842 in Sydney, $2,195 in Esperance – roughly 29% apart. Sydney costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,263 per month in Sydney and $3,293 in Esperance. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Esperance, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Sydney and $77.0 in Esperance. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,842 in Sydney and $2,195 in Esperance. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Esperance, where all-in costs run around $2,195, than in Sydney at $2,842. In Esperance it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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