Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Griffith Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Griffith

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Sydney versus $2,222 in Griffith.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,168 in Sydney versus $3,268 in Griffith.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,578 in Sydney versus $4,315 in Griffith.

Living in Sydney is roughly 24% more expensive than Griffith, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 106% above, Griffith 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 A$22.98

$16.05 A$22.37

2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 A$110

$79.3 A$110

-0.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 A$13.84

$9.84 A$13.72

0.91%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.71

$3.51 A$4.90

-3.70%

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

$2.55 A$3.55

$2.49 A$3.47

2.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.74

$2.14 A$2.98

-7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 A$9.30

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.24

$7.19 A$10.02

2.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.28

$1.49 A$2.07

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.80

$2.42 A$3.37

12.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.17

$2.00 A$2.79

14.00%

Eggs

$5.04 A$7.03

$4.42 A$6.16

14.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.43

$8.47 A$11.80

5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.63

$8.28 A$11.53

0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 A$19.68

$13.61 A$18.96

3.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.51

$3.21 A$4.47

0.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.76

$2.83 A$3.94

-4.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$2.89 A$4.03

8.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$4.07 A$5.67

8.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.41

$2.41 A$3.36

1.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.25

$2.09 A$2.91

11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.12 A$2.95

4.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.74

$1.52 A$2.12

-17.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.36 A$45.10

$30.44 A$42.42

6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.67

$15.98 A$22.27

-11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.49

$4.45 A$6.20

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$5.41 A$7.53

-1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.57

$2.54 A$3.54

29.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$196

$66.0 A$92.0

113.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.56

$3.69 A$5.14

8.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 A$4.08

$1.59 A$2.22

84.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 A$73.1

$33.17 A$46.22

58.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.74

$1.19 A$1.66

5.04%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$29.3K A$40.9K

0.30%

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

$22.7K A$31.6K

$22.8K A$31.7K

-0.50%

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

$204 A$284

$183 A$256

11.09%

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

$24.13 A$33.62

$27.07 A$37.72

-10.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 A$72.3

$53.4 A$74.5

-2.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$85.2

$49.59 A$69.1

23.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 A$29.04

$15.53 A$21.64

34.19%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 A$21.90

$12.76 A$17.78

23.12%

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

$2,074 A$2,890

$1,657 A$2,308

25.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K A$26.4K

$12.1K A$16.9K

56.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 A$102

$67.2 A$93.6

8.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 A$81.0

$49.89 A$69.5

16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$151

$100 A$140

7.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$186

$107 A$148

25.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 A$3,057

$1,270 A$1,770

72.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 A$2,077

$1,080 A$1,505

38.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,416 A$6,154

$2,030 A$2,828

117.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 A$3,660

$1,670 A$2,327

57.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$18.6K

$5,505 A$7,671

142.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 A$10.6K

$5,639 A$7,857

34.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,193 A$5,843

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

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

Last update for Sydney: May 31, 2026

Last update for Griffith: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,194 in Sydney and $1,270 in Griffith. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $79.0 in Griffith. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $340, with Griffith cheaper for home cooking.

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 Griffith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Griffith differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,759 vs $2,222 including rent). Griffith is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,138 in Sydney and $3,332 in Griffith to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,194 in Sydney versus $1,270 in Griffith. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Griffith runs roughly 113% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,074 in Sydney versus $1,657 in Griffith. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,222 in Griffith versus $2,759 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Griffith but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Griffith the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Griffith 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 Griffith gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.