Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Melbourne Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Melbourne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Sydney versus $2,416 in Melbourne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,168 in Sydney versus $3,579 in Melbourne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,578 in Sydney versus $4,742 in Melbourne.

Living in Sydney is roughly 14% more expensive than Melbourne, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 106% above, Melbourne 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 A$23.12

$19.75 A$27.68

-16.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 A$111

$78.7 A$110

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 A$13.93

$9.70 A$13.60

2.37%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.74

$3.66 A$5.14

-7.65%

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

$2.55 A$3.57

$2.60 A$3.65

-1.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.76

$2.34 A$3.28

-15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 A$9.35

$7.17 A$10.06

-6.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.30

$6.99 A$9.79

5.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.29

$1.45 A$2.03

12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.82

$2.66 A$3.73

2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.19

$2.34 A$3.28

-2.56%

Eggs

$5.04 A$7.07

$4.80 A$6.73

5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.50

$8.77 A$12.29

1.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.70

$9.44 A$13.23

-11.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 A$19.80

$14.42 A$20.22

-2.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.54

$3.33 A$4.67

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.78

$2.77 A$3.89

-2.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.39

$3.00 A$4.21

4.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.19

$3.95 A$5.53

11.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.43

$2.68 A$3.75

-8.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.27

$2.36 A$3.30

-1.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.10

$2.14 A$2.99

3.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.75

$1.63 A$2.29

-23.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.36 A$45.37

$32.44 A$45.49

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.79

$14.11 A$19.78

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.53

$4.64 A$6.51

0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.47

$5.04 A$7.07

5.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.60

$3.49 A$4.89

-6.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$197

$120 A$168

17.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.59

$3.50 A$4.91

14.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 A$4.11

$1.35 A$1.89

117.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 A$73.6

$26.94 A$37.77

94.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.75

$1.19 A$1.67

5.04%

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

$29.4K A$41.3K

0.02%

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

$22.7K A$31.8K

$23.6K A$33.1K

-3.92%

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

$204 A$286

$150 A$210

35.93%

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

$24.13 A$33.83

$21.16 A$29.67

14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 A$72.8

$50.3 A$70.5

3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$85.7

$49.14 A$68.9

24.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 A$29.22

$16.37 A$22.96

27.31%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 A$22.03

$16.43 A$23.04

-4.38%

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

$2,074 A$2,908

$1,764 A$2,473

17.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K A$26.5K

$19.2K A$26.9K

-1.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 A$102

$68.3 A$95.8

6.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 A$81.5

$53.3 A$74.7

9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$151

$106 A$149

1.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$187

$105 A$147

27.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 A$3,076

$1,572 A$2,205

39.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 A$2,090

$1,195 A$1,675

24.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,416 A$6,191

$3,048 A$4,273

44.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 A$3,682

$1,990 A$2,789

32.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$18.7K

$7,387 A$10.4K

80.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 A$10.6K

$6,527 A$9,151

16.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,193 A$5,879

$4,512 A$6,326

-7.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

6.19

2.42%

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

Last update for Sydney: May 31, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,194 in Sydney and $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $79.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $354 per month, with Sydney cheaper across the board.

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 Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Melbourne differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,759 vs $2,416 including rent). Melbourne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Melbourne earns 8% 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: $2,194 in Sydney versus $1,572 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,074 in Sydney versus $1,764 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sydney pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.