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: $2,819 in Sydney versus $2,244 in Mount Isa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,211 in Sydney versus $3,259 in Mount Isa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,604 in Sydney versus $4,274 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 110% above, Mount Isa 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.18 A$22.65

$16.29 A$22.80

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 A$109

$78.6 A$110

-1.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 A$13.86

$9.85 A$13.79

0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.42 A$4.79

$3.50 A$4.90

-2.29%

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

$2.43 A$3.41

$2.51 A$3.51

-3.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.71

$2.10 A$2.94

-7.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 A$8.84

$6.38 A$8.93

-1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 A$10.03

$7.14 A$10.00

0.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.27

$1.44 A$2.02

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.90

$2.33 A$3.26

19.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.13

$2.04 A$2.85

9.80%

Eggs

$5.13 A$7.19

$3.21 A$4.50

59.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 A$12.54

$8.43 A$11.80

6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 A$11.79

$8.46 A$11.85

-0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 A$19.91

$13.92 A$19.48

2.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 A$4.47

$3.30 A$4.62

-3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.85

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.30

$2.97 A$4.15

3.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 A$6.18

$4.04 A$5.66

9.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.46

$2.49 A$3.49

-0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.21

$2.08 A$2.91

10.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$2.99

$2.11 A$2.96

1.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 A$1.83

$1.58 A$2.22

-17.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.90 A$46.07

$30.79 A$43.11

6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 A$19.81

$15.63 A$21.88

-9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.61

$4.62 A$6.47

2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.44

$5.21 A$7.30

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 A$4.48

$2.55 A$3.57

25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 A$200

$64.5 A$90.4

121.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 A$5.39

$3.53 A$4.94

9.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.99 A$4.19

$1.59 A$2.23

88.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.0 A$72.8

$34.09 A$47.73

52.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.73

$1.13 A$1.59

8.85%

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

$28.4K A$39.8K

$28.7K A$40.2K

-1.00%

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

$22.1K A$30.9K

$22.5K A$31.4K

-1.63%

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

$199 A$278

$181 A$254

9.51%

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

$23.57 A$33.00

$27.79 A$38.91

-15.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$74.9

$41.64 A$58.3

28.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 A$83.6

$49.47 A$69.3

20.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 A$29.81

$15.99 A$22.39

33.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 A$22.07

$13.20 A$18.48

19.39%

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

$2,038 A$2,854

$1,612 A$2,256

26.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K A$25.6K

$12.2K A$17.1K

49.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 A$105

$67.9 A$95.0

10.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 A$82.3

$51.4 A$71.9

14.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$149

$99.6 A$139

7.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$186

$105 A$148

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 A$3,051

$1,278 A$1,790

70.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 A$2,056

$1,059 A$1,483

38.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,435 A$6,208

$2,044 A$2,862

116.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,695 A$3,773

$1,685 A$2,358

59.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.7K A$17.8K

$6,002 A$8,403

112.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,816 A$10.9K

$5,057 A$7,080

54.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,147 A$5,806

$4,545 A$6,363

-8.76%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,179 in Sydney and $1,278 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78 in Sydney vs $79 in Mount Isa. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $337, with Mount Isa cheaper for home cooking.

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 10% 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: $2,179 in Sydney versus $1,278 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,038 in Sydney versus $1,612 in Mount Isa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,244 in Mount Isa versus $2,819 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.