Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Katoomba

For one person, living is cheaper in Katoomba: $2,409 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Katoomba
Learn more

Katoomba Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Katoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Katoomba

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,409 in Katoomba, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Katoomba $2,409

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,467 in Katoomba, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Katoomba $3,467

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,526 in Katoomba, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Katoomba $4,526

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.88

$17.30 A$24.60

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$85.8 A$122

5.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.00

$10.49 A$14.92

14.01%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.69

$3.15 A$4.47

26.98%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.72 A$3.87

3.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.06 A$2.93

7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.57

$6.44 A$9.15

26.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.24

$8.65 A$12.30

-16.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.56 A$2.21

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$3.26 A$4.64

-9.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.54 A$3.61

-1.18%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.05

$5.26 A$7.47

7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.37

$13.18 A$18.74

-7.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$9.65 A$13.72

-3.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.99

$15.42 A$21.93

9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.55

$4.09 A$5.82

-4.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$3.10 A$4.40

3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.53 A$5.03

-2.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$5.13 A$7.29

-15.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.76

$3.21 A$4.56

4.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.87 A$4.08

-16.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.32

$2.54 A$3.61

-7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.35 A$1.93

-14.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.7

$45.57 A$64.8

-0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.89

$13.79 A$19.60

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$4.65 A$6.61

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$5.63 A$8.01

-25.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.47 A$3.51

26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$77.8 A$111

95.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$4.00 A$5.69

-13.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.66 A$2.35

-6.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$42.48 A$60.4

-6.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.33 A$1.89

9.02%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$28.6K A$40.7K

4.56%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$26.4K A$37.5K

4.37%

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

$251 A$357

$186 A$265

34.63%

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

$27.76 A$39.46

$26.42 A$37.57

5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.5

$56.3 A$80.1

2.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$61.7 A$87.7

14.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.06

$17.36 A$24.69

33.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.35

$15.98 A$22.72

11.58%

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

$2,358 A$3,353

$2,503 A$3,559

-5.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.7K

$20.3K A$28.9K

33.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$76.1 A$108

5.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$55.8 A$79.3

24.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$109 A$154

1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$133 A$189

-4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,648

$1,604 A$2,280

59.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,548

$1,106 A$1,572

62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,396

$2,208 A$3,139

135.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,488

$1,560 A$2,218

102.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,535 A$7,869

141.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$5,242 A$7,453

66.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,855

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.95

-0.50%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Katoomba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Katoomba

$1.1K 45.9% 38.3% $687

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Katoomba

$396 16.5% 3.7% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Katoomba

$269 11.2% 20.1% $68

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Katoomba

$276 11.5% 7.6% $23

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Katoomba

$100 4.2% 43.1% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Katoomba

$168 7% 3.7% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Katoomba

$94 3.9% 11.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,604 in Katoomba. 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 $86 in Katoomba. Groceries tell a different story – $382 in Sydney vs $396 in Katoomba – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Katoomba

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

8,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Katoomba 85 km

From you

Sydney
Katoomba

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 Katoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,267 in Sydney, $2,409 in Katoomba – Katoomba comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,613 in Katoomba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Katoomba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,604 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $2,409 in Katoomba. That makes Katoomba about 26% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Katoomba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Katoomba, where all-in costs run around $2,409, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Katoomba 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 $2,409 in Katoomba to $3,267 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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