Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Kununurra

For one person, living is cheaper in Kununurra: $2,371 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Kununurra
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Kununurra Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Kununurra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Kununurra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,267 in Sydney versus $2,371 in Kununurra.

Sydney $3,267
Kununurra $2,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,847 in Sydney versus $3,541 in Kununurra.

Sydney $4,847
Kununurra $3,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,428 in Sydney versus $4,711 in Kununurra.

Sydney $6,428
Kununurra $4,711

Living in Sydney is roughly 38% more expensive than in Kununurra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 140% above, Kununurra 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.87

$16.09 A$22.86

8.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$82.5 A$117

9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.99

$12.02 A$17.07

-0.50%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.68

$4.18 A$5.94

-4.31%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.83 A$4.02

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$1.96 A$2.79

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.56

$6.61 A$9.40

23.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.23

$7.67 A$10.90

-6.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.52 A$2.16

11.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.17

$2.72 A$3.86

8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$2.29 A$3.25

9.61%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.04

$5.49 A$7.80

3.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.36

$9.16 A$13.01

33.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$9.44 A$13.42

-1.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.97

$14.75 A$20.96

14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.54

$3.76 A$5.35

3.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$3.12 A$4.44

3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.28 A$4.65

4.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$4.56 A$6.48

-5.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.75

$2.65 A$3.77

26.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.38 A$3.39

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.32

$2.41 A$3.42

-2.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.53 A$2.17

-24.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.6

$26.81 A$38.09

69.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.88

$13.89 A$19.74

0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$4.86 A$6.91

-15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$5.16 A$7.33

-18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.45 A$3.48

27.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$84.3 A$120

80.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$3.80 A$5.40

-8.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.78 A$2.53

-12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$35.87 A$51.0

10.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.36 A$1.94

6.62%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$28.5K A$40.5K

4.92%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$22.6K A$32.1K

21.93%

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

$251 A$356

$209 A$297

19.86%

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

$27.76 A$39.44

$27.61 A$39.23

0.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.4

$57.8 A$82.1

0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$56.8 A$80.7

24.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.04

$16.06 A$22.82

44.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.33

$12.94 A$18.39

37.79%

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

$2,358 A$3,351

$2,289 A$3,252

3.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.6K

$23.0K A$32.7K

18.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$75.8 A$108

6.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$47.66 A$67.7

45.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$107 A$152

3.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$118 A$168

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,646

$1,407 A$1,999

82.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,547

$1,079 A$1,533

66.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,391

$2,336 A$3,319

122.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,485

$1,827 A$2,596

72.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,605 A$7,964

138.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$5,305 A$7,537

64.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,851

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Kununurra: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Kununurra

$1.1K 45.5% 39.8% $714

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Kununurra

$369 15.6% 3.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Kununurra

$295 12.4% 12.5% $42

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Kununurra

$283 11.9% 5.5% $17

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Kununurra

$107 4.5% 39.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Kununurra

$157 6.6% 10.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Kununurra

$83 3.5% 22.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,566 in Sydney and $1,407 in Kununurra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Sydney vs $82 in Kununurra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $369 per month, with Kununurra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Kununurra

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

5,300

💱 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 Kununurra 3,020 km ≈ 4 h 15 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 Kununurra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kununurra wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kununurra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,900 in Sydney and $3,557 in Kununurra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,407 in Kununurra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kununurra – a meal for two runs $82 versus $90 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,267 per month in Sydney versus $2,371 in Kununurra – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Kununurra is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Kununurra 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 Kununurra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.