Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Margaret River

For one person, living is cheaper in Margaret River: $2,621 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Margaret River

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,621 in Margaret River, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Margaret River $2,621

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,790 in Margaret River, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Margaret River $3,790

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,958 in Margaret River, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Margaret River $4,958

Sydney costs about 25% more than Margaret River, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Margaret River sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Margaret River by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.87

$20.84 A$29.61

-16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$83.1 A$118

8.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.99

$10.96 A$15.57

9.12%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.68

$4.55 A$6.46

-12.09%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.86 A$4.06

-1.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.28 A$3.24

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.56

$8.52 A$12.11

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.23

$8.35 A$11.87

-13.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.67 A$2.37

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.17

$3.19 A$4.53

-7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$1.95 A$2.77

28.72%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.04

$5.14 A$7.30

10.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.36

$9.50 A$13.50

28.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$9.41 A$13.38

-1.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.97

$14.00 A$19.90

20.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.54

$4.42 A$6.28

-11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$3.09 A$4.39

4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.57 A$5.07

-3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$4.75 A$6.75

-8.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.75

$2.94 A$4.17

13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$1.99 A$2.82

20.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.32

$2.22 A$3.15

5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.41 A$2.00

-17.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.6

$42.29 A$60.1

7.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.88

$12.76 A$18.14

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$4.49 A$6.37

-8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$3.41 A$4.84

22.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.80 A$3.97

11.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$84.7 A$120

79.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$3.66 A$5.20

-5.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.39 A$1.98

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$41.25 A$58.6

-4.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.37 A$1.95

5.84%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$30.1K A$42.8K

-0.82%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$27.8K A$39.5K

-1.09%

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

$251 A$356

$207 A$294

21.06%

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

$27.76 A$39.44

$33.77 A$47.99

-17.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.4

$64.6 A$91.7

-10.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$56.8 A$80.8

24.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.04

$17.61 A$25.02

32.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.33

$17.70 A$25.15

0.73%

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

$2,358 A$3,351

$2,326 A$3,305

1.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.6K

$23.0K A$32.7K

18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$76.6 A$109

5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$63.9 A$90.9

8.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$123 A$175

-10.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$165 A$235

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,646

$1,378 A$1,957

86.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,547

$1,224 A$1,739

46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,391

$2,254 A$3,203

130.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,485

$1,844 A$2,620

71.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,961 A$8,470

124.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$4,637 A$6,589

88.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,851

$2,950 A$4,192

39.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.96

-0.67%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Margaret River: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Margaret River

$1.2K 46.7% 31.7% $569

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Margaret River

$366 14% 4.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Margaret River

$306 11.7% 9.2% $31

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Margaret River

$334 12.7% 11.7% $35

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Margaret River

$107 4.1% 39.3% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Margaret River

$193 7.4% 10.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Margaret River

$92 3.5% 13.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,378 in Margaret River. 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 40% higher in Sydney. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $83 in Margaret River. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $366 – making Margaret River the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

8,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Sydney Margaret River 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Margaret River: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,932 in Margaret River. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margaret River, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,378 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney and $83 in Margaret River. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $2,621 in Margaret River. That’s a gap of about 25%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,267 in Sydney and $2,621 in Margaret River. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,621 in Margaret River to $3,267 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.

If budget matters most, go with Margaret River. 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.