Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Hervey Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Hervey Bay: $2,403 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Hervey Bay
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Hervey Bay Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Hervey Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Hervey Bay

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,403 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Hervey Bay $2,403

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,452 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Hervey Bay $3,452

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,500 in Hervey Bay, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Hervey Bay $4,500

Sydney costs about 36% more than Hervey Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Hervey Bay sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Hervey Bay by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.87

$17.48 A$24.84

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$74.4 A$106

21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.99

$10.56 A$15.00

13.26%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.68

$3.85 A$5.47

3.90%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.90 A$4.11

-3.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.26 A$3.21

-1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.56

$5.99 A$8.51

35.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.23

$8.23 A$11.70

-12.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.62 A$2.31

4.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.17

$2.71 A$3.85

8.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.21 A$3.15

13.57%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.04

$4.76 A$6.77

18.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.36

$9.13 A$12.98

33.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$9.35 A$13.29

-0.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.97

$14.41 A$20.48

17.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.54

$4.30 A$6.11

-9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$3.14 A$4.47

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.02 A$4.29

13.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$4.96 A$7.05

-12.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.75

$2.72 A$3.86

23.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.43 A$3.45

-1.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.32

$2.29 A$3.26

2.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.19 A$1.69

-2.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.6

$38.10 A$54.1

19.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.88

$12.47 A$17.72

12.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$5.17 A$7.35

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$5.12 A$7.28

-18.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.94 A$4.18

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$80.7 A$115

88.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$3.10 A$4.40

11.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.81 A$2.58

-13.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$41.81 A$59.4

-5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.45 A$2.06

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$29.5K A$41.9K

1.43%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$25.8K A$36.6K

6.72%

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

$251 A$356

$163 A$231

54.24%

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

$27.76 A$39.44

$25.76 A$36.60

7.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.4

$61.1 A$86.8

-5.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$49.51 A$70.4

42.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.04

$15.99 A$22.72

45.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.33

$13.76 A$19.56

29.58%

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

$2,358 A$3,351

$2,043 A$2,903

15.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.6K

$12.8K A$18.1K

112.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$63.3 A$90.0

27.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$44.32 A$63.0

56.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$63.3 A$89.9

75.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$63.8 A$90.7

99.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,646

$1,400 A$1,990

83.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,547

$1,218 A$1,731

47.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,391

$2,268 A$3,223

129.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,485

$1,834 A$2,606

72.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,566 A$7,909

140.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$4,622 A$6,568

88.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,851

$2,751 A$3,909

49.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.81

1.89%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Hervey Bay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Hervey Bay

$1.2K 50.7% 32% $574

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Hervey Bay

$363 15.1% 4.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Hervey Bay

$249 10.4% 25.9% $87

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Hervey Bay

$285 11.9% 4.8% $14

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Hervey Bay

$105 4.4% 40.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Hervey Bay

$106 4.4% 39.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Hervey Bay

$77 3.2% 27.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,400 in Hervey Bay. 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 50% higher in Sydney. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $74 in Hervey Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $363 – making Hervey Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Hervey Bay

🕒 Local time

06:59 6:59 AM

05:59 5:59 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

57,722

💱 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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Between locations

Sydney Hervey Bay 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Hervey Bay

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 Hervey Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 36%, 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 $3,605 in Hervey Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hervey Bay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,400 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Kindergarten costs $2,358 per month in Sydney and $2,043 in Hervey Bay. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Sydney, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Families tend to lean toward Hervey Bay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Hervey Bay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.