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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,819 per month in Sydney vs $2,222 in Esperance, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,211 per month in Sydney vs $3,279 in Esperance, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,604 per month in Sydney vs $4,335 in Esperance, rent included.

Sydney costs about 27% more than Esperance, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Sydney and Esperance sit above the global median – Sydney by 110%, Esperance by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.18 A$22.65

$16.09 A$22.53

0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 A$109

$77.2 A$108

0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 A$13.86

$9.66 A$13.52

2.48%

Cappuccino

$3.42 A$4.79

$3.47 A$4.85

-1.44%

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

$2.43 A$3.41

$2.61 A$3.66

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.71

$2.19 A$3.06

-11.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 A$8.84

$6.44 A$9.02

-2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 A$10.03

$7.19 A$10.07

-0.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.27

$1.48 A$2.07

9.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.34 A$3.28

18.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.13

$1.93 A$2.71

16.06%

Eggs

$5.13 A$7.19

$4.30 A$6.02

19.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 A$12.54

$8.50 A$11.91

5.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 A$11.79

$8.44 A$11.81

-0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 A$19.91

$13.77 A$19.28

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.47

$3.29 A$4.60

-3.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.85

$2.77 A$3.87

-0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.30

$3.01 A$4.22

1.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.18

$3.99 A$5.58

10.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.46

$2.43 A$3.40

1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.21

$2.12 A$2.97

8.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.99

$2.12 A$2.97

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 A$1.83

$1.57 A$2.19

-17.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.90 A$46.07

$30.30 A$42.43

8.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 A$19.81

$14.55 A$20.37

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.61

$4.56 A$6.38

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.44

$5.46 A$7.65

-2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 A$4.48

$2.67 A$3.74

19.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 A$200

$65.6 A$91.8

117.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 A$5.39

$3.61 A$5.05

6.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.99 A$4.19

$1.61 A$2.25

85.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 A$72.8

$33.40 A$46.76

55.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.73

$1.19 A$1.67

3.36%

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

$28.4K A$39.8K

$29.0K A$40.6K

-1.95%

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

$22.1K A$30.9K

$22.2K A$31.1K

-0.67%

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

$199 A$278

$180 A$252

10.51%

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

$23.57 A$33.00

$27.37 A$38.31

-13.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$74.9

$51.7 A$72.3

3.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 A$83.6

$49.47 A$69.3

20.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 A$29.81

$15.73 A$22.02

35.35%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 A$22.07

$13.03 A$18.24

20.95%

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

$2,038 A$2,854

$1,634 A$2,288

24.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$25.6K

$12.0K A$16.8K

52.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 A$105

$67.2 A$94.1

11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 A$82.3

$49.98 A$70.0

17.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$149

$95.0 A$133

12.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$186

$106 A$149

24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 A$3,051

$1,240 A$1,736

75.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 A$2,056

$1,053 A$1,474

39.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,435 A$6,208

$2,033 A$2,846

118.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,695 A$3,773

$1,672 A$2,341

61.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$6,159 A$8,623

106.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,816 A$10.9K

$4,835 A$6,769

61.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,147 A$5,806

$3,610 A$5,054

14.87%

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 20, 2026

Last update for Esperance: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,179 in Sydney versus $1,240 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 15% 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 $78 in Sydney versus $77 in Esperance. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $339 – 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: $2,819 in Sydney, $2,222 in Esperance – roughly 27% apart. Sydney costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,228 per month in Sydney and $3,333 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 $78.0 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 $2,819 in Sydney and $2,222 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 $2,222, than in Sydney at $2,819. 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.