Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Mildura

For one person, living is cheaper in Mildura: $2,360 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sydney, Australia
Mildura, Australia
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,274
/mo nomad
Mildura
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,360
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Mildura

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

A single person spends $3,274 per month in Sydney vs $2,360 in Mildura, rent included.

  • Sydney $3,274
  • Mildura $2,360

A couple spends around $4,873 per month in Sydney vs $3,616 in Mildura, rent included.

  • Sydney $4,873
  • Mildura $3,616

A family of three spends $6,471 per month in Sydney vs $4,873 in Mildura, rent included.

  • Sydney $6,471
  • Mildura $4,873

Sydney costs about 39% more than Mildura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Mildura sit above the global median – Sydney by 142%, Mildura by 75%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.27 A$24.72
$15.56 A$22.27
10.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.9 A$130
$106 A$152
-14.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.87 A$17.00
$11.45 A$16.39
3.67%
Cappuccino
$4.09 A$5.86
$3.47 A$4.96
17.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 A$4.00
$2.77 A$3.96
1.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 A$3.12
$2.75 A$3.93
-20.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.25 A$11.80
$6.35 A$9.09
29.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.99 A$10.00
$6.83 A$9.78
2.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 A$2.40
$2.06 A$2.95
-18.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.88 A$4.13
$2.77 A$3.97
3.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.35 A$3.37
$2.22 A$3.18
5.86%
Eggs
$5.39 A$7.72
$8.17 A$11.70
-34.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.06 A$15.83
$9.15 A$13.10
20.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.92 A$12.77
$9.17 A$13.13
-2.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.48 A$23.59
$14.79 A$21.17
11.43%
Apples (1kg)
$4.14 A$5.93
$3.69 A$5.29
12.20%
Banana (1kg)
$3.22 A$4.61
$3.09 A$4.42
4.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 A$4.79
$3.33 A$4.77
0.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 A$6.21
$4.56 A$6.53
-4.82%
Potato (1kg)
$3.38 A$4.84
$2.45 A$3.51
37.96%
Onion (1kg)
$2.43 A$3.48
$2.49 A$3.56
-2.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.37 A$3.39
$2.43 A$3.48
-2.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 A$1.67
$1.60 A$2.29
-26.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.01 A$63.0
$41.74 A$59.8
5.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.23 A$20.37
$14.14 A$20.25
0.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.14 A$5.92
$4.60 A$6.58
-10.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 A$6.28
$5.12 A$7.32
-14.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.08 A$4.41
$2.80 A$4.01
10.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$152 A$217
$83.4 A$119
82.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.72 A$5.33
$3.55 A$5.08
4.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 A$2.56
$1.62 A$2.32
10.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.82 A$59.9
$40.94 A$58.6
2.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 A$2.07
$1.36 A$1.95
5.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K A$42.4K
$29.5K A$42.3K
0.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K A$39.4K
$26.8K A$38.4K
2.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$262 A$375
$206 A$294
27.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$28.69 A$41.07
$28.26 A$40.45
1.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.0 A$83.0
$56.2 A$80.4
3.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.9 A$107
$55.8 A$79.9
34.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.21 A$33.22
$17.43 A$24.95
33.16%
Cinema Ticket
$17.70 A$25.34
$14.01 A$20.05
26.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,424 A$3,470
$2,141 A$3,065
13.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.3K A$47.7K
$20.0K A$28.7K
66.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.3 A$112
$77.4 A$111
1.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.1 A$98.9
$53.6 A$76.8
28.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 A$161
$108 A$155
3.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 A$180
$122 A$175
3.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,602 A$3,724
$1,401 A$2,005
85.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,792 A$2,565
$1,066 A$1,526
68.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,247 A$7,511
$2,247 A$3,216
133.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,196 A$4,576
$1,848 A$2,645
72.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.6K A$19.4K
$5,923 A$8,479
128.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,711 A$12.5K
$4,914 A$7,034
77.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Mildura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,107 A$5,879
$3,472 A$4,971
18.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.02
5.9
2.03%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mildura: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.8K
Mildura
$1.1K 40.5% $726
Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$375
Mildura
$383 2.2% $8.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$348
Mildura
$290 16.8% $58
Eating Out
Sydney
$298
Mildura
$268 10.1% $30
Getting Around
Sydney
$177
Mildura
$106 39.9% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$174
Mildura
$163 6.3% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$110
Mildura
$84 24% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,401 in Mildura. 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 18% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney versus $106 in Mildura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $383 – making Sydney the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Sydney
🇦🇺 Mildura
🕒 Local time
05:42 5:42 AM
05:42 5:42 AM
Same time as Sydney
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,840,600
34,565
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney Mildura 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Sydney
  • Mildura

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 Mildura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mildura cheaper than Sydney?
Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,912 per month in Sydney and $3,540 in Mildura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mildura, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,401 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.
What are total monthly expenses in Sydney and in Mildura?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,274 in Sydney and $2,360 in Mildura. That makes Mildura about 28% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,424 per month in Sydney and $2,141 in Mildura. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is Sydney or Mildura more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Mildura – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Sydney or Mildura?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Mildura. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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