Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Hobart

For one person, living is cheaper in Hobart: $2,733 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Hobart
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Hobart Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Hobart

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Hobart

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

A single person spends $3,245 per month in Sydney vs $2,733 in Hobart, rent included.

Sydney $3,245
Hobart $2,733

A couple spends around $4,803 per month in Sydney vs $3,695 in Hobart, rent included.

Sydney $4,803
Hobart $3,695

A family of three spends $6,362 per month in Sydney vs $4,657 in Hobart, rent included.

Sydney $6,362
Hobart $4,657

Sydney costs about 19% more than Hobart, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Hobart sit above the global median – Sydney by 139%, Hobart by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$18.35 A$26.41

-5.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$92.5 A$133

-2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$10.44 A$15.02

14.18%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$3.94 A$5.67

2.28%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$3.42 A$4.92

-15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.17 A$3.12

2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$8.18 A$11.77

-3.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$9.29 A$13.37

-27.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.79 A$2.57

-4.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.43 A$3.50

20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.88 A$2.71

33.51%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$5.39 A$7.75

2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$9.53 A$13.71

23.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$8.84 A$12.71

4.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$17.77 A$25.57

-6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$3.18 A$4.58

23.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$3.34 A$4.80

-5.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$2.96 A$4.26

17.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$4.66 A$6.71

-6.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$2.59 A$3.73

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.14 A$3.08

12.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$2.65 A$3.82

-12.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.69 A$2.44

-31.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$36.85 A$53.0

20.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$14.72 A$21.19

-6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$4.98 A$7.16

-19.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$5.36 A$7.72

-24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$3.05 A$4.39

5.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$97.9 A$141

57.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$4.64 A$6.67

-23.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$2.08 A$2.99

-24.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$41.36 A$59.5

-4.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.36 A$1.95

8.82%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$28.4K A$40.8K

4.21%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$33.8K A$48.6K

-18.15%

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

$241 A$347

$223 A$321

8.31%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$28.52 A$41.04

-3.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$59.8 A$86.1

-5.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$36.82 A$53.0

112.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$13.00 A$18.70

78.92%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$16.63 A$23.93

5.53%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$1,976 A$2,843

10.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$20.6K A$29.6K

34.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$76.1 A$110

5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$54.3 A$78.1

30.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$104 A$149

6.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$126 A$181

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$1,836 A$2,642

34.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$1,382 A$1,988

28.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$2,156 A$3,103

126.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$1,617 A$2,326

91.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$9,379 A$13.5K

42.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$6,772 A$9,744

23.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

$4,024 A$5,790

1.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

6.2

-4.52%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Hobart: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Hobart

$1.4K 50.5% 22.3% $395

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Hobart

$376 13.8% 0.5% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Hobart

$311 11.4% 4.3% $14

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Hobart

$307 11.2% 3.5% $10

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Hobart

$125 4.6% 29.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Hobart

$162 5.9% 7.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Hobart

$70 2.6% 38.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,836 in Hobart. 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 1% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Sydney versus $92.0 in Hobart. Groceries tell a different story – $378 in Sydney vs $376 in Hobart – so Hobart wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Hobart

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

197,451

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Hobart 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
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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 Hobart: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 19% more than Hobart, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,867 per month in Sydney and $4,100 in Hobart. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hobart, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 0% more in Sydney, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Sydney and $92.0 in Hobart. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,245 in Sydney and $2,733 in Hobart. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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