Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Karratha

For one person, living is cheaper in Karratha: $2,473 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Karratha
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Karratha Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Karratha

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Karratha

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

A single person spends $3,245 per month in Sydney vs $2,473 in Karratha, rent included.

Sydney $3,245
Karratha $2,473

A couple spends around $4,803 per month in Sydney vs $3,581 in Karratha, rent included.

Sydney $4,803
Karratha $3,581

A family of three spends $6,362 per month in Sydney vs $4,690 in Karratha, rent included.

Sydney $6,362
Karratha $4,690

Sydney costs about 31% more than Karratha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Karratha sit above the global median – Sydney by 139%, Karratha by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$24.73

$17.59 A$24.99

-1.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$128

$82.6 A$117

9.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$16.94

$10.31 A$14.66

15.62%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.72

$3.88 A$5.52

3.87%

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

$2.88 A$4.10

$2.83 A$4.02

1.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.16

$2.19 A$3.11

1.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.22

$7.54 A$10.72

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.64

$7.58 A$10.77

-10.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.42

$1.52 A$2.16

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$2.72 A$3.86

8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$2.26 A$3.21

11.06%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.89

$4.83 A$6.86

14.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.73

$9.42 A$13.39

24.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.18

$9.43 A$13.39

-1.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$23.72

$14.89 A$21.15

12.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.56

$3.97 A$5.65

-1.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.50

$3.11 A$4.42

1.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.94

$3.29 A$4.68

5.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.23

$4.75 A$6.75

-7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.73

$2.81 A$3.99

18.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.39 A$3.40

0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.28

$2.33 A$3.31

-0.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.63

$1.47 A$2.09

-21.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.0

$41.46 A$58.9

6.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.47

$13.65 A$19.39

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.68

$4.76 A$6.76

-15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.72

$5.35 A$7.60

-24.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.57

$2.89 A$4.11

11.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$219

$82.2 A$117

87.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.08

$3.38 A$4.81

5.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.25

$1.58 A$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.0

$39.46 A$56.1

-0.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.36 A$1.94

8.82%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$27.0K A$38.3K

9.55%

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

$27.7K A$39.3K

$29.6K A$42.1K

-6.60%

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

$241 A$343

$202 A$286

19.75%

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

$27.57 A$39.18

$27.87 A$39.60

-1.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$80.0

$55.4 A$78.7

1.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$111

$56.7 A$80.6

37.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.05

$17.66 A$25.10

31.71%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$24.94

$14.78 A$21.00

18.74%

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

$2,185 A$3,105

$2,176 A$3,091

0.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$39.5K

$20.4K A$29.0K

36.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$77.6 A$110

3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$100

$54.7 A$77.7

29.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$108 A$153

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$184

$120 A$171

7.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,519

$1,391 A$1,976

78.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,525

$1,176 A$1,671

51.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$6,941

$2,113 A$3,003

131.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,395

$1,779 A$2,527

73.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,861 A$8,328

128.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$11.9K

$4,940 A$7,020

69.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,788

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.84

1.37%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Karratha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Karratha

$1.2K 47.5% 33.8% $601

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Karratha

$368 14.9% 2.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Karratha

$285 11.5% 12.4% $40

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Karratha

$291 11.8% 1.9% $5.6

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Karratha

$105 4.3% 41.1% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Karratha

$162 6.6% 7.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Karratha

$86 3.5% 23.8% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,391 in Karratha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $83 in Karratha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $368 – making Karratha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Karratha

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

17,013

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sydney Karratha 3,670 km ≈ 5 h 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 Karratha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,245 in Sydney, $2,473 in Karratha – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,867 per month in Sydney and $3,710 in Karratha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karratha, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,391 there versus $2,477 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,245 in Sydney and $2,473 in Karratha. That’s a gap of about 31%.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Karratha. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Karratha, where all-in costs run around $2,473, than in Sydney at $3,245. In Karratha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,473 in Karratha to $3,245 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

For expats, Karratha is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 31% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.