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: $3,292 in Sydney versus $2,585 in Mount Isa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,899 in Sydney versus $3,692 in Mount Isa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,505 in Sydney versus $4,798 in Mount Isa.

Living in Sydney is roughly 27% more expensive than in Mount Isa, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 141% above, Mount Isa 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.90 A$25.07

$20.38 A$28.54

-12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.0 A$130

$85.8 A$120

8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 A$16.89

$10.03 A$14.04

20.24%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.54

$3.84 A$5.38

3.13%

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

$2.89 A$4.05

$3.21 A$4.50

-9.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.17

$2.24 A$3.14

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 A$11.04

$8.62 A$12.08

-8.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 A$10.15

$8.81 A$12.33

-17.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 A$2.54

$1.84 A$2.58

-1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 A$3.86

$2.86 A$4.00

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.39

$2.34 A$3.27

3.42%

Eggs

$5.82 A$8.14

$4.93 A$6.90

18.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 A$17.54

$10.65 A$14.91

17.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 A$13.83

$8.67 A$12.15

13.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 A$23.18

$17.06 A$23.90

-2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 A$5.09

$3.66 A$5.13

-0.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.39

$3.07 A$4.29

2.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.79

$3.48 A$4.87

-1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 A$6.62

$4.16 A$5.83

13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.63

$2.76 A$3.87

19.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.49

$2.57 A$3.60

-3.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 A$3.33

$2.45 A$3.43

-2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.75

$1.60 A$2.23

-21.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.38 A$65.0

$46.73 A$65.5

-0.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 A$20.30

$15.93 A$22.31

-8.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.28 A$6.00

$4.83 A$6.76

-11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 A$5.63

$5.35 A$7.49

-24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 A$4.68

$3.48 A$4.87

-4.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$158 A$222

$80.5 A$113

96.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 A$4.86

$3.54 A$4.95

-1.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 A$2.35

$1.56 A$2.19

7.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.99 A$57.4

$44.42 A$62.2

-7.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.02

$1.30 A$1.82

10.77%

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

$30.5K A$42.7K

$28.2K A$39.5K

8.06%

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

$30.4K A$42.6K

$31.2K A$43.7K

-2.46%

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

$229 A$321

$214 A$300

6.98%

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

$27.42 A$38.41

$28.36 A$39.71

-3.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$79.8

$57.4 A$80.3

-0.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.3 A$112

$54.8 A$76.7

46.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 A$34.50

$19.02 A$26.63

29.50%

Cinema Ticket

$17.92 A$25.10

$17.24 A$24.14

3.94%

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

$2,317 A$3,244

$2,154 A$3,017

7.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K A$40.7K

$17.7K A$24.8K

64.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$113

$84.3 A$118

-4.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.2 A$105

$50.4 A$70.6

49.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$155

$101 A$141

10.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$188

$129 A$181

4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,591 A$3,629

$1,366 A$1,914

89.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 A$2,657

$1,390 A$1,946

36.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,109 A$7,155

$2,449 A$3,430

108.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,134 A$4,389

$1,871 A$2,621

67.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K A$19.2K

$7,188 A$10.1K

90.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,458 A$11.8K

$4,517 A$6,326

87.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,204 A$5,887

$4,381 A$6,135

-4.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

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

Last update for Sydney: September 12, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,591 in Sydney and $1,366 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $93.0 in Sydney vs $86.0 in Mount Isa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $383 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 27% 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, salaries run 4% lower in Mount Isa. 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: $2,591 in Sydney versus $1,366 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,317 in Sydney versus $2,154 in Mount Isa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Mount Isa 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 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 27% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.