Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Gosford

For one person, living is cheaper in Gosford: $2,795 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sydney, Australia
Gosford, Australia
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,267
/mo nomad
Gosford
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,795
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Gosford

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,795 in Gosford, rent included.

  • Sydney $3,267
  • Gosford $2,795

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,874 in Gosford, rent included.

  • Sydney $4,847
  • Gosford $3,874

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,953 in Gosford, rent included.

  • Sydney $6,428
  • Gosford $4,953

Sydney costs about 17% more than Gosford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sydney and Gosford sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Gosford by 105%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50 A$24.88
$17.40 A$24.73
0.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.4 A$128
$82.9 A$118
9.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.96 A$16.99
$10.71 A$15.22
11.67%
Cappuccino
$4.00 A$5.69
$3.49 A$4.97
14.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 A$4.00
$3.27 A$4.65
-14.07%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 A$3.16
$2.20 A$3.13
0.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.13 A$11.56
$5.75 A$8.18
41.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 A$10.23
$7.06 A$10.03
1.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 A$2.42
$1.15 A$1.64
47.83%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 A$4.17
$3.98 A$5.65
-26.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 A$3.57
$2.04 A$2.90
23.04%
Eggs
$5.66 A$8.04
$4.12 A$5.86
37.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.22 A$17.36
$8.95 A$12.72
36.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.31 A$13.24
$9.08 A$12.91
2.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 A$23.98
$12.10 A$17.20
39.42%
Apples (1kg)
$3.90 A$5.55
$2.93 A$4.16
33.11%
Banana (1kg)
$3.22 A$4.58
$2.54 A$3.62
26.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 A$4.88
$3.25 A$4.62
5.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.33 A$6.16
$4.60 A$6.53
-5.87%
Potato (1kg)
$3.35 A$4.76
$2.41 A$3.43
39.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.40 A$3.41
$2.13 A$3.03
12.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 A$3.32
$2.10 A$2.99
11.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 A$1.65
$1.79 A$2.54
-35.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.47 A$64.6
$27.50 A$39.09
65.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.99 A$19.89
$11.47 A$16.30
21.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.11 A$5.84
$7.18 A$10.21
-42.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 A$5.94
$4.69 A$6.66
-10.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.12 A$4.44
$3.60 A$5.12
-13.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$152 A$216
$153 A$218
-0.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 A$4.92
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 A$2.22
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.54 A$56.2
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 A$2.06
$1.36 A$1.94
6.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K A$42.5K
$21.2K A$30.1K
41.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K A$39.1K
$24.6K A$35.0K
11.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$251 A$357
$242 A$344
3.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.76 A$39.45
$28.55 A$40.58
-2.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.0 A$82.4
$51.3 A$72.9
13.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.7 A$100
$67.1 A$95.3
5.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.25 A$33.05
$20.72 A$29.45
12.21%
Cinema Ticket
$17.83 A$25.34
$12.13 A$17.24
46.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,358 A$3,352
$830 A$1,180
184.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.2K A$38.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.5 A$114
$71.2 A$101
13.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.3 A$98.5
$63.2 A$89.8
9.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$157
$107 A$152
3.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 A$181
$110 A$156
16.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,566 A$3,647
$1,955 A$2,779
31.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,792 A$2,548
$1,418 A$2,016
26.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,202 A$7,394
$2,268 A$3,223
129.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,156 A$4,487
$1,936 A$2,752
63.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.4K A$19.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,727 A$12.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Gosford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,118 A$5,853
$3,052 A$4,339
34.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.92
5.23
13.19%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Gosford: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.8K
Gosford
$1.4K 20.9% $374
Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$382
Gosford
$360 5.8% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$337
Gosford
$322 4.4% $15
Eating Out
Sydney
$299
Gosford
$278 7% $21
Getting Around
Sydney
$176
Gosford
$168 * 4.6% $8
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$175
Gosford
$158 9.5% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$106
Gosford
$91 14.1% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,955 in Gosford. 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 35% higher in Sydney. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $83 in Gosford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $360 – making Gosford the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Sydney
🇦🇺 Gosford
🕒 Local time
11:51 11:51 AM
11:51 11:51 AM
Same time as Sydney
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,840,600
4,873
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney Gosford 51 km
From you
  • Sydney
  • Gosford

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 Gosford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sydney and in Gosford compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,267 in Sydney, $2,795 in Gosford – Gosford comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Sydney compared to Gosford?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $4,192 in Gosford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sydney and Gosford?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Gosford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,955 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney and $83 in Gosford. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Sydney, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Where should families live: Sydney or Gosford?
Families tend to lean toward Gosford – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Sydney or Gosford safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Sydney and Gosford?
If budget matters most, go with Gosford. If higher salaries 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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