Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Mount Isa Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Mount Isa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Sydney versus $2,258 in Mount Isa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,242 in Sydney versus $3,277 in Mount Isa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,641 in Sydney versus $4,296 in Mount Isa.

Living in Sydney is roughly 26% more expensive than Mount Isa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 111% above, Mount Isa 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.37 A$23.13

$16.46 A$23.26

-0.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 A$112

$77.5 A$110

2.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.73 A$13.75

$9.48 A$13.39

2.64%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.82

$3.37 A$4.76

1.19%

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

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.59 A$3.66

-3.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 A$2.82

$2.21 A$3.12

-9.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 A$9.44

$6.54 A$9.24

2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.38

$7.17 A$10.13

2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.29

$1.47 A$2.08

10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.77

$2.42 A$3.42

10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.27

$1.94 A$2.74

19.07%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.06

$3.13 A$4.43

59.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 A$12.57

$8.77 A$12.39

1.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.71

$8.52 A$12.04

-2.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.34 A$20.26

$13.62 A$19.25

5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.54

$3.31 A$4.68

-3.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.88

$2.72 A$3.84

1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.50

$2.99 A$4.22

6.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 A$6.38

$4.15 A$5.86

8.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.46

$2.39 A$3.38

2.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.30

$2.17 A$3.07

7.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.10

$2.10 A$2.96

4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.82

$1.52 A$2.15

-15.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$33.14 A$46.82

$31.47 A$44.47

5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.61

$13.23 A$18.70

4.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.62

$4.47 A$6.32

4.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 A$7.52

$5.36 A$7.57

-0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.29 A$4.64

$2.63 A$3.72

25.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$196

$64.4 A$91.0

115.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 A$5.42

$3.53 A$4.98

8.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.88 A$4.07

$1.54 A$2.17

87.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 A$73.2

$33.40 A$47.20

55.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.74

$1.17 A$1.66

5.13%

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

$29.1K A$41.1K

$28.4K A$40.1K

2.51%

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

$22.9K A$32.4K

$22.6K A$31.9K

1.45%

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

$205 A$290

$183 A$259

11.88%

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

$23.85 A$33.69

$27.12 A$38.31

-12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$74.4

$42.14 A$59.5

25.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 A$86.2

$48.69 A$68.8

25.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 A$29.19

$15.46 A$21.84

33.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.43 A$21.80

$12.81 A$18.10

20.45%

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

$2,054 A$2,902

$1,631 A$2,305

25.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$26.0K

$12.0K A$17.0K

52.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 A$103

$67.7 A$95.6

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 A$83.0

$49.54 A$70.0

18.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$151

$101 A$142

6.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$185

$107 A$151

22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 A$3,039

$1,261 A$1,782

70.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 A$2,097

$1,087 A$1,536

36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,496 A$6,352

$2,044 A$2,887

119.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,691 A$3,803

$1,679 A$2,372

60.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.0K A$18.3K

$6,076 A$8,585

113.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,544 A$10.7K

$5,259 A$7,430

43.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,223 A$5,967

$4,489 A$6,342

-5.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

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

Last update for Sydney: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,151 in Sydney and $1,261 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays 6% 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 $78.0 in Mount Isa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $332 per month, with Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Isa wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mount Isa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mount Isa earns 6% 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: $2,151 in Sydney versus $1,261 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,054 in Sydney versus $1,631 in Mount Isa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,258 in Mount Isa versus $2,842 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mount Isa but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Mount Isa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.