Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Frankston

For one person, living is cheaper in Frankston: $2,438 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Frankston
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Frankston Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Frankston

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Frankston

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,438 in Frankston, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Frankston $2,438

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,403 in Frankston, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Frankston $3,403

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,369 in Frankston, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Frankston $4,369

Sydney costs about 34% more than Frankston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sydney and Frankston sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Frankston by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$15.24 A$21.76

14.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$59.8 A$85.5

51.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.07

$10.72 A$15.31

11.57%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.71

$2.74 A$3.92

45.99%

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

$2.81 A$4.02

$3.18 A$4.54

-11.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.08 A$2.97

6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.62

$10.03 A$14.32

-18.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.28

$6.81 A$9.72

5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.51 A$2.16

12.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.19

$2.62 A$3.74

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.59

$2.06 A$2.94

21.84%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.08

$3.78 A$5.40

49.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.44

$10.62 A$15.17

15.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.30

$9.57 A$13.67

-2.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.09

$7.80 A$11.13

116.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$2.67 A$3.82

46.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$3.16 A$4.51

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$2.76 A$3.94

24.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.19

$2.72 A$3.89

59.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$3.04 A$4.34

10.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.60 A$3.71

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.41 A$3.45

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.38 A$1.96

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.9

$42.80 A$61.1

6.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.98

$6.28 A$8.97

122.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.87

$3.25 A$4.64

26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.97

$4.22 A$6.03

-0.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.46

$3.61 A$5.16

-13.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$83.1 A$119

82.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.94

$4.44 A$6.34

-22.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.44 A$2.05

8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.5

$30.55 A$43.63

29.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.15 A$1.65

26.09%

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

$29.9K A$42.7K

$29.7K A$42.4K

0.71%

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

$27.5K A$39.3K

$26.3K A$37.6K

4.54%

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

$251 A$358

$228 A$326

9.86%

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

$27.76 A$39.64

$10.68 A$15.26

159.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.8

$56.8 A$81.0

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$57.0 A$81.4

23.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.20

$17.67 A$25.24

31.58%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.46

$17.47 A$24.95

2.06%

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

$2,358 A$3,368

$2,450 A$3,499

-3.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.8K

$30.4K A$43.4K

-10.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$115

$79.9 A$114

0.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$99.0

$51.2 A$73.2

35.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$87.9 A$126

25.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$182

$48.59 A$69.4

162.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,664

$1,405 A$2,007

82.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,560

$1,247 A$1,780

43.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,429

$2,219 A$3,169

134.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,508

$1,841 A$2,629

71.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.1K

$5,812 A$8,300

130.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.5K

$5,351 A$7,641

63.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,881

$4,360 A$6,227

-5.56%

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 Frankston: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Frankston

$1.2K 51.1% 30.4% $546

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Frankston

$302 12.4% 20.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Frankston

$296 12.1% 12.1% $41

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Frankston

$272 11.2% 9.1% $27

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Frankston

$109 4.5% 37.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Frankston

$120 4.9% 31% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Frankston

$92 3.8% 13.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,405 in Frankston. 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 6% higher in Frankston, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $60 in Frankston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $302 – making Frankston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Frankston

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

37,331

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Frankston 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Frankston

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 Frankston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,658 in Frankston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frankston, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,405 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Sydney, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney and $60 in Frankston. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,438 in Frankston to $3,267 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Frankston is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.