Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Hawkesbury City

For one person, living is cheaper in Hawkesbury City: $2,566 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Hawkesbury City
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Hawkesbury City Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Hawkesbury City

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Hawkesbury City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,274 in Sydney versus $2,566 in Hawkesbury City.

Sydney $3,274
Hawkesbury City $2,566

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,873 in Sydney versus $3,741 in Hawkesbury City.

Sydney $4,873
Hawkesbury City $3,741

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,471 in Sydney versus $4,917 in Hawkesbury City.

Sydney $6,471
Hawkesbury City $4,917

Living in Sydney is roughly 28% more expensive than in Hawkesbury City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 142% above, Hawkesbury City 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$25.15

$20.84 A$30.34

-17.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$132

$90.4 A$132

0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$17.29

$10.32 A$15.02

15.02%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.96

$4.21 A$6.13

-2.85%

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

$2.80 A$4.07

$3.09 A$4.49

-9.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.17

$2.54 A$3.70

-14.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$12.01

$8.59 A$12.50

-3.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$10.17

$9.90 A$14.41

-29.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.44

$1.50 A$2.19

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.20

$3.22 A$4.69

-10.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.42

$2.51 A$3.65

-6.37%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.85

$5.37 A$7.82

0.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$16.10

$12.87 A$18.74

-14.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.99

$10.19 A$14.84

-12.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$24.00

$15.66 A$22.81

5.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$6.03

$4.07 A$5.93

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.69

$3.22 A$4.68

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.88

$3.46 A$5.03

-3.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.32

$5.11 A$7.45

-15.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.92

$3.18 A$4.63

6.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.54

$2.74 A$3.98

-11.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.44

$2.50 A$3.64

-5.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.70

$1.35 A$1.96

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$64.1

$45.67 A$66.5

-3.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.72

$13.75 A$20.03

3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$6.02

$4.79 A$6.97

-13.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.39

$5.51 A$8.03

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.48

$2.67 A$3.88

15.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$221

$84.6 A$123

79.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.42

$3.96 A$5.76

-6.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.60

$1.65 A$2.40

8.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$60.9

$43.51 A$63.4

-3.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.10

$1.34 A$1.95

7.46%

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

$29.6K A$43.2K

$28.2K A$41.1K

5.11%

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

$27.5K A$40.0K

$26.8K A$39.1K

2.46%

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

$262 A$381

$181 A$264

44.55%

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

$28.69 A$41.78

$27.04 A$39.37

6.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$84.5

$55.4 A$80.7

4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$109

$55.9 A$81.4

34.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.79

$17.71 A$25.78

31.06%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.77

$15.84 A$23.07

11.74%

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

$2,424 A$3,529

$2,451 A$3,568

-1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$48.5K

$20.3K A$29.6K

63.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$114

$76.2 A$111

2.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$101

$55.7 A$81.0

24.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$164

$109 A$159

2.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$183

$132 A$192

-4.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,788

$1,401 A$2,040

85.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,609

$1,208 A$1,759

48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,639

$2,211 A$3,219

137.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,654

$1,810 A$2,635

76.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.7K

$5,895 A$8,584

129.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.7K

$5,062 A$7,370

72.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,980

$4,459 A$6,492

-7.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

5.95

1.18%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Hawkesbury City: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Hawkesbury City

$1.2K 47.1% 32.6% $584

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Hawkesbury City

$398 15.5% 6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Hawkesbury City

$263 10.3% 24.4% $85

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Hawkesbury City

$333 13% 11.9% $35

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Hawkesbury City

$108 4.2% 39.1% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Hawkesbury City

$168 6.5% 3.4% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Hawkesbury City

$88 3.4% 20.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,602 in Sydney and $1,401 in Hawkesbury City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hawkesbury City pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91 in Sydney vs $90 in Hawkesbury City. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $398, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Hawkesbury City

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

62,353

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.687 USD

1 AUD = 0.615 EUR

1 AUD = 0.687 USD

1 AUD = 0.615 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 Hawkesbury City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 8% 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: $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,401 in Hawkesbury City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,424 in Sydney versus $2,451 in Hawkesbury City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Hawkesbury City 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. Hawkesbury City 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 Hawkesbury City are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.