Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Goulburn

For one person, living is cheaper in Goulburn: $2,369 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Goulburn
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Goulburn Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Goulburn

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,369

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Goulburn

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,369 in Goulburn, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Goulburn $2,369

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,337 in Goulburn, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Goulburn $3,337

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,306 in Goulburn, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Goulburn $4,306

Sydney costs about 38% more than Goulburn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Goulburn sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Goulburn by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.88

$17.52 A$24.90

-0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$89.7 A$127

0.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.99

$8.61 A$12.24

38.91%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.69

$3.20 A$4.55

25.00%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.86 A$4.07

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.22 A$3.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.56

$8.03 A$11.41

1.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.23

$7.46 A$10.61

-3.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$0.95 A$1.35

78.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.17

$1.74 A$2.47

68.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.30 A$3.27

9.13%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.04

$4.99 A$7.09

13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.36

$12.11 A$17.21

0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$9.42 A$13.39

-1.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.98

$16.76 A$23.82

0.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.55

$3.18 A$4.52

22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$1.79 A$2.54

79.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$1.78 A$2.52

92.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$3.54 A$5.04

22.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.76

$2.42 A$3.43

38.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$1.35 A$1.92

77.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.32

$1.39 A$1.97

68.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.04 A$1.47

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.6

$45.00 A$64.0

1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.89

$8.20 A$11.66

70.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$4.11 A$5.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$4.21 A$5.99

-0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.85 A$4.05

9.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$82.9 A$118

83.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$2.85 A$4.05

21.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.64 A$2.34

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$39.71 A$56.5

-0.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.49 A$2.12

-2.68%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$29.8K A$42.3K

0.44%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$27.6K A$39.2K

-0.30%

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

$251 A$357

$105 A$149

138.80%

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

$27.76 A$39.45

$27.97 A$39.76

-0.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.4

$56.8 A$80.8

2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$60.9 A$86.5

16.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.05

$17.12 A$24.33

35.81%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.34

$8.35 A$11.86

113.53%

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

$2,358 A$3,352

$2,393 A$3,402

-1.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.6K

$27.8K A$39.5K

-2.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$80.0 A$114

0.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$70.0 A$99.4

-0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$112 A$160

-1.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$129 A$183

-1.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,647

$1,398 A$1,987

83.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,548

$1,226 A$1,743

46.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,394

$2,339 A$3,324

122.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,487

$1,575 A$2,238

100.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$6,008 A$8,539

122.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$5,683 A$8,078

53.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,853

$4,079 A$5,798

0.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Goulburn: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Goulburn

$1.2K 51.8% 31.6% $566

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Goulburn

$314 13.3% 17.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Goulburn

$190 8% 43.6% $147

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Goulburn

$280 11.8% 6.4% $19

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Goulburn

$105 4.5% 40% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Goulburn

$176 7.4% 0.8% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Goulburn

$78 3.3% 27% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,398 in Goulburn. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $90 in Goulburn. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Sydney vs $314 in Goulburn – so Goulburn wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Goulburn

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

23,963

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Goulburn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,554 in Goulburn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Goulburn, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,398 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Goulburn. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Sydney, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,369 in Goulburn 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.