Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Gladstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Gladstone: $2,533 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Gladstone
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Gladstone Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Gladstone

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,533

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Gladstone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,267 in Sydney versus $2,533 in Gladstone.

Sydney $3,267
Gladstone $2,533

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,847 in Sydney versus $3,459 in Gladstone.

Sydney $4,847
Gladstone $3,459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,428 in Sydney versus $4,385 in Gladstone.

Sydney $6,428
Gladstone $4,385

Living in Sydney is roughly 29% more expensive than in Gladstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 140% above, Gladstone 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.87

$17.68 A$25.13

-1.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$81.1 A$115

11.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.99

$11.89 A$16.90

0.59%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.68

$4.13 A$5.86

-3.15%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$3.10 A$4.41

-9.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.75 A$3.91

-19.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.56

$7.52 A$10.68

8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.23

$9.28 A$13.19

-22.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.52 A$2.17

11.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.17

$2.73 A$3.88

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.30 A$3.27

9.13%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.04

$4.85 A$6.89

16.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.36

$9.23 A$13.12

32.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$9.21 A$13.08

1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.97

$14.50 A$20.60

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.54

$3.83 A$5.45

1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$3.12 A$4.43

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.30 A$4.69

3.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$4.67 A$6.64

-7.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.75

$2.63 A$3.74

27.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.38 A$3.38

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.32

$2.41 A$3.42

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.61 A$2.29

-27.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.6

$41.88 A$59.5

8.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.88

$13.91 A$19.77

0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$4.85 A$6.90

-15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$5.35 A$7.60

-21.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.83 A$4.02

10.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$84.8 A$121

78.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$4.02 A$5.71

-13.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.39 A$1.98

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$44.05 A$62.6

-10.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.27 A$1.80

14.17%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$26.9K A$38.2K

11.23%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$24.9K A$35.4K

10.39%

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

$251 A$356

$205 A$291

22.50%

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

$27.76 A$39.44

$27.56 A$39.16

0.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.4

$54.4 A$77.2

6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$56.1 A$79.7

25.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.04

$17.63 A$25.05

31.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.33

$13.90 A$19.76

28.27%

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

$2,358 A$3,351

$1,958 A$2,783

20.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.6K

$20.4K A$28.9K

33.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$70.3 A$100.0

14.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$62.5 A$88.8

10.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$98.6 A$140

12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$123 A$174

3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,646

$1,381 A$1,963

85.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,547

$1,223 A$1,737

46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,391

$1,370 A$1,947

279.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,485

$1,465 A$2,082

115.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,583 A$7,933

139.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$4,980 A$7,076

75.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,851

$5,599 A$7,956

-26.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.25

12.76%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Gladstone: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Gladstone

$1.2K 48.3% 31.8% $570

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Gladstone

$367 14.5% 3.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Gladstone

$287 11.3% 14.8% $50

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Gladstone

$306 12.1% 2.4% $7.1

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Gladstone

$107 4.2% 39% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Gladstone

$159 6.3% 8.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Gladstone

$84 3.3% 21.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,566 in Sydney and $1,381 in Gladstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gladstone pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90 in Sydney vs $81 in Gladstone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $367 per month, with Gladstone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Gladstone

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

07:12 7:12 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

34,703

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sydney Gladstone 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Gladstone

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 Gladstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gladstone wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gladstone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Sydney. 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: $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,381 in Gladstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,267 per month in Sydney versus $2,533 in Gladstone – Gladstone is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Gladstone runs roughly 44% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Gladstone is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sydney and Gladstone are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Gladstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.