Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Kalgoorlie Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Kalgoorlie

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,789 in Sydney versus $1,763 in Kalgoorlie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,138 in Sydney versus $3,046 in Kalgoorlie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,488 in Sydney versus $4,330 in Kalgoorlie.

Living in Sydney is roughly 58% more expensive than Kalgoorlie, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 109% above, Kalgoorlie 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 A$22.55

$16.03 A$22.68

-0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 A$109

$79.1 A$112

-2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 A$13.72

$9.49 A$13.43

2.21%

Cappuccino

$3.42 A$4.84

$4.11 A$5.82

-16.79%

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

$2.46 A$3.48

$3.63 A$5.14

-32.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 A$2.73

$3.16 A$4.47

-38.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 A$9.03

$6.02 A$8.52

5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.97

$6.88 A$9.73

2.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.30

$1.42 A$2.00

14.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 A$3.91

$3.23 A$4.57

-14.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 A$3.19

$1.98 A$2.80

13.64%

Eggs

$5.08 A$7.18

$3.98 A$5.64

27.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 A$12.27

$8.44 A$11.94

2.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.65

$8.25 A$11.67

-0.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 A$20.14

$13.50 A$19.11

5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.57

$3.20 A$4.53

0.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.76

$2.72 A$3.85

-2.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.35

$2.91 A$4.12

5.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.30

$4.18 A$5.91

6.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.46

$2.51 A$3.55

-2.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.29

$2.09 A$2.96

11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 A$3.15

$1.93 A$2.72

15.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 A$1.78

$1.54 A$2.17

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.93 A$45.17

$30.29 A$42.86

5.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.69

$13.86 A$19.62

0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.82 A$6.81

$4.47 A$6.33

7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.47

$5.49 A$7.77

-3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 A$4.67

$2.52 A$3.57

30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$200

$64.1 A$90.7

120.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 A$5.68

$3.56 A$5.04

12.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.89 A$4.09

$1.62 A$2.30

78.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.9 A$74.9

$33.30 A$47.11

58.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.77

$1.27 A$1.79

-1.57%

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

$28.5K A$40.3K

$29.4K A$41.6K

-3.02%

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

$22.6K A$31.9K

$22.4K A$31.6K

0.91%

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

$201 A$284

$296 A$419

-32.33%

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

$24.26 A$34.32

$51.6 A$73.0

-52.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.5

$64.3 A$91.0

-17.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 A$85.1

$36.16 A$51.2

66.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.89 A$29.56

$15.64 A$22.12

33.57%

Cinema Ticket

$15.62 A$22.10

$16.41 A$23.21

-4.81%

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

$2,069 A$2,928

$1,648 A$2,331

25.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K A$26.4K

$12.1K A$17.1K

54.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 A$106

$68.0 A$96.2

10.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 A$83.9

$50.9 A$72.0

16.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$152

$99.5 A$141

8.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$183

$109 A$155

18.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 A$3,087

$1,269 A$1,796

71.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 A$2,103

$452 A$639

228.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,464 A$6,316

$1,550 A$2,192

188.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,692 A$3,808

$1,449 A$2,050

85.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K A$18.6K

$6,116 A$8,653

114.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,449 A$10.5K

$5,202 A$7,360

43.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$5,955

$6,040 A$8,546

-30.32%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kalgoorlie: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,182 in Sydney and $1,269 in Kalgoorlie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalgoorlie pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Sydney vs $79.0 in Kalgoorlie. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $341, with Kalgoorlie 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 Kalgoorlie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalgoorlie wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalgoorlie the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kalgoorlie earns 44% less. 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: $2,182 in Sydney versus $1,269 in Kalgoorlie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kalgoorlie runs roughly 121% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,069 in Sydney versus $1,648 in Kalgoorlie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,763 in Kalgoorlie versus $2,789 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kalgoorlie but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Kalgoorlie 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 Kalgoorlie 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 Kalgoorlie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.