Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Frankfurt Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Frankfurt

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Sydney versus $2,667 in Frankfurt.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,168 in Sydney versus $4,020 in Frankfurt.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,578 in Sydney versus $5,373 in Frankfurt.

Living in Sydney is roughly 3% more expensive than Frankfurt, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 106% above, Frankfurt 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 A$23.12

$19.30 €16.61

-14.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 A$111

$92.3 €79.5

-14.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 A$13.93

$13.94 €12.00

-28.77%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.74

$4.44 €3.82

-23.87%

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

$2.55 A$3.57

$3.62 €3.11

-29.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.76

$3.23 €2.78

-39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 A$9.35

$5.95 €5.12

12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.30

$5.06 €4.35

45.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.29

$1.59 €1.37

2.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.82

$2.31 €1.99

17.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.19

$3.42 €2.94

-33.33%

Eggs

$5.04 A$7.07

$3.97 €3.42

26.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.50

$15.05 €12.95

-40.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.70

$13.77 €11.86

-39.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 A$19.80

$22.26 €19.16

-36.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.54

$3.51 €3.02

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.78

$2.13 €1.83

26.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.39

$2.26 €1.94

38.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.19

$4.94 €4.25

-10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.43

$1.75 €1.51

39.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.27

$1.67 €1.44

39.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.10

$1.95 €1.68

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.75

$1.16 €1.00

7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.36 A$45.37

$9.72 €8.37

232.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.79

$6.36 €5.47

121.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.53

$1.05 €0.90

343.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.47

$1.51 €1.30

252.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.60

$4.34 €3.74

-24.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$197

$67.3 €57.9

109.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.59

$5.76 €4.95

-30.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 A$4.11

$2.68 €2.30

9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 A$73.6

$38.47 €33.12

36.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.75

$1.96 €1.68

-36.22%

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

$29.4K A$41.3K

$31.2K €26.9K

-5.78%

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

$22.7K A$31.8K

$35.1K €30.2K

-35.54%

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

$204 A$286

$371 €319

-45.07%

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

$24.13 A$33.83

$24.10 €20.75

0.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 A$72.8

$42.74 €36.79

21.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$85.7

$65.6 €56.5

-6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 A$29.22

$29.20 €25.14

-28.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 A$22.03

$15.92 €13.71

-1.32%

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

$2,074 A$2,908

$604 €520

243.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K A$26.5K

$16.3K €14.0K

15.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 A$102

$92.0 €79.2

-20.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 A$81.5

$38.75 €33.36

49.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$151

$97.1 €83.6

11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$187

$147 €127

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 A$3,076

$1,514 €1,303

44.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 A$2,090

$1,199 €1,032

24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,416 A$6,191

$2,750 €2,367

60.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 A$3,682

$2,061 €1,774

27.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$18.7K

$8,507 €7,324

57.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 A$10.6K

$4,442 €3,824

70.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,193 A$5,879

$4,257 €3,665

-1.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

3.99

58.90%

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

Last update for Sydney: May 31, 2026

Last update for Frankfurt: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,194 in Sydney and $1,514 in Frankfurt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $92.0 in Frankfurt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $365 per month, with Sydney cheaper across the board.

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 Frankfurt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Frankfurt is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Frankfurt earns 2% less. 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: $2,194 in Sydney versus $1,514 in Frankfurt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Frankfurt – a meal for two runs $92.0 versus $79.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,759 per month in Sydney versus $2,667 in Frankfurt – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Frankfurt is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Frankfurt is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sydney, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sydney and Frankfurt are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Frankfurt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.