Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Esperance

For one person, living is cheaper in Esperance: $2,553 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sydney, Australia
Esperance, Australia
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,267
/mo nomad
Esperance
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,553
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Esperance

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,553 in Esperance, rent included.

  • Sydney $3,267
  • Esperance $2,553

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,675 in Esperance, rent included.

  • Sydney $4,847
  • Esperance $3,675

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,797 in Esperance, rent included.

  • Sydney $6,428
  • Esperance $4,797

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

Both Sydney and Esperance sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Esperance by 88%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50 A$24.88
$18.56 A$26.39
-5.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.4 A$128
$85.0 A$121
6.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.96 A$17.00
$10.69 A$15.20
11.88%
Cappuccino
$4.00 A$5.69
$4.50 A$6.40
-11.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 A$4.00
$2.86 A$4.06
-1.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 A$3.16
$2.24 A$3.19
-0.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.13 A$11.57
$7.67 A$10.91
6.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 A$10.24
$7.48 A$10.64
-3.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 A$2.42
$1.65 A$2.34
3.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 A$4.18
$2.50 A$3.55
17.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 A$3.58
$1.93 A$2.75
30.05%
Eggs
$5.66 A$8.05
$5.08 A$7.23
11.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.22 A$17.37
$9.31 A$13.23
31.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.31 A$13.24
$9.48 A$13.48
-1.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 A$23.99
$14.92 A$21.22
13.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.90 A$5.55
$3.74 A$5.32
4.28%
Banana (1kg)
$3.22 A$4.58
$3.05 A$4.33
5.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 A$4.88
$3.17 A$4.51
8.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.33 A$6.16
$4.50 A$6.40
-3.78%
Potato (1kg)
$3.35 A$4.76
$2.69 A$3.82
24.54%
Onion (1kg)
$2.40 A$3.41
$2.13 A$3.03
12.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 A$3.33
$2.65 A$3.77
-11.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 A$1.65
$1.73 A$2.46
-32.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.47 A$64.7
$46.76 A$66.5
-2.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.99 A$19.89
$12.28 A$17.47
13.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.11 A$5.84
$4.84 A$6.88
-15.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 A$5.94
$5.31 A$7.56
-21.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.12 A$4.44
$2.71 A$3.85
15.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$152 A$216
$85.4 A$121
77.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 A$4.92
$3.60 A$5.12
-3.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 A$2.22
$1.64 A$2.33
-4.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.54 A$56.2
$40.04 A$56.9
-1.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 A$2.06
$1.26 A$1.79
15.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K A$42.5K
$30.0K A$42.7K
-0.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K A$39.1K
$26.2K A$37.3K
4.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$251 A$357
$207 A$294
21.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.76 A$39.47
$27.49 A$39.08
0.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.0 A$82.5
$50.2 A$71.4
15.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.7 A$100
$55.4 A$78.8
27.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.25 A$33.06
$17.43 A$24.78
33.39%
Cinema Ticket
$17.83 A$25.35
$12.36 A$17.57
44.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,358 A$3,353
$2,448 A$3,481
-3.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.2K A$38.7K
$21.8K A$30.9K
24.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.5 A$114
$75.7 A$108
6.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.3 A$98.5
$55.5 A$78.9
24.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$157
$108 A$153
2.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 A$181
$121 A$172
5.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,566 A$3,648
$1,400 A$1,991
83.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,792 A$2,549
$1,245 A$1,771
43.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,202 A$7,396
$2,262 A$3,217
129.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,156 A$4,488
$1,854 A$2,636
70.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.4K A$19.0K
$6,013 A$8,550
122.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,727 A$12.4K
$5,134 A$7,300
69.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Esperance
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,118 A$5,856
$3,478 A$4,945
18.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.92
5.9
0.34%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Esperance: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.8K
Esperance
$1.2K 30.5% $547
Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$382
Esperance
$365 4.5% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$337
Esperance
$284 15.6% $52
Eating Out
Sydney
$299
Esperance
$308 3.1% $9.2
Getting Around
Sydney
$176
Esperance
$108 38.5% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$175
Esperance
$162 7.3% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$106
Esperance
$80 24.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,400 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 $90 in Sydney versus $85 in Esperance. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $365 – making Esperance the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Sydney
🇦🇺 Esperance
🕒 Local time
04:58 4:58 AM
01:58 1:58 AM
3 h behind Sydney
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,840,600
10,218
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney Esperance 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sydney
  • Esperance

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 Esperance: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sydney and in Esperance compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,267 in Sydney, $2,553 in Esperance – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Sydney compared to Esperance?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,829 in Esperance. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sydney and Esperance?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Esperance, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney and $85 in Esperance. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sydney or Esperance?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $2,553 in Esperance. That’s a gap of about 28%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Esperance, where all-in costs run around $2,553, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Esperance it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sydney and Esperance?
It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,553 in Esperance to $3,267 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sydney or Esperance safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Sydney and Esperance?
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.

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