Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Mount Isa

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Isa: $2,519 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Mount Isa
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Mount Isa Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Mount Isa

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,519

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Mount Isa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,274 in Sydney versus $2,519 in Mount Isa.

Sydney $3,274
Mount Isa $2,519

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,873 in Sydney versus $3,619 in Mount Isa.

Sydney $4,873
Mount Isa $3,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,471 in Sydney versus $4,719 in Mount Isa.

Sydney $6,471
Mount Isa $4,719

Living in Sydney is roughly 30% more expensive than in Mount Isa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 142% above, Mount Isa 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.61

$17.36 A$24.74

-0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$129

$84.2 A$120

7.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$16.92

$10.65 A$15.18

11.46%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.83

$3.91 A$5.58

4.60%

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

$2.80 A$3.99

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.10

$2.25 A$3.21

-3.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.75

$7.83 A$11.15

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.96

$7.71 A$10.98

-9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.52 A$2.16

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.11

$2.65 A$3.78

8.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.35

$2.21 A$3.15

6.33%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.69

$4.82 A$6.87

11.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.76

$9.18 A$13.08

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.71

$9.09 A$12.96

-1.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.49

$14.97 A$21.34

10.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.90

$3.85 A$5.49

7.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.59

$3.09 A$4.40

4.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.77

$3.24 A$4.61

3.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.18

$4.70 A$6.69

-7.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.82

$2.72 A$3.88

24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.46

$2.38 A$3.39

2.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.37

$2.40 A$3.42

-1.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.67

$1.55 A$2.20

-24.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$62.7

$42.83 A$61.0

2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.28

$14.25 A$20.30

-0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.89

$4.76 A$6.78

-13.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.25

$5.29 A$7.54

-17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.39

$2.70 A$3.85

14.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$84.1 A$120

80.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.30

$3.59 A$5.11

3.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.54

$1.65 A$2.35

8.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$59.6

$40.77 A$58.1

2.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.32 A$1.88

9.09%

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

$29.6K A$42.2K

$29.7K A$42.4K

-0.28%

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

$27.5K A$39.2K

$25.9K A$36.9K

6.13%

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

$262 A$373

$205 A$292

27.65%

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

$28.69 A$40.89

$27.82 A$39.65

3.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.7

$57.0 A$81.3

1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$107

$55.6 A$79.2

34.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.07

$18.03 A$25.69

28.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.22

$13.96 A$19.90

26.79%

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

$2,424 A$3,454

$2,165 A$3,085

11.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$47.5K

$20.2K A$28.7K

65.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$77.7 A$111

0.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$98.5

$54.8 A$78.1

26.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$160

$109 A$156

2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$179

$123 A$176

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,707

$1,416 A$2,018

83.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,554

$1,217 A$1,734

47.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,477

$2,259 A$3,218

132.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,555

$1,798 A$2,562

77.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.3K

$5,881 A$8,380

130.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.4K

$5,029 A$7,167

73.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,852

$4,453 A$6,346

-7.78%

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 Mount Isa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Mount Isa

$1.2K 48.3% 32.1% $576

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Mount Isa

$366 14.5% 2.5% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Mount Isa

$290 11.5% 16.8% $59

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Mount Isa

$293 11.6% 1.8% $5.4

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Mount Isa

$107 4.2% 39.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Mount Isa

$164 6.5% 5.3% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Mount Isa

$83 3.3% 24.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,602 in Sydney and $1,416 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa 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: $91 in Sydney vs $84 in Mount Isa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $366 per month, with Mount Isa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Mount Isa

🕒 Local time

11:53 11:53 AM

10:53 10:53 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

17,936

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.702 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Mount Isa 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Mount Isa

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 Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Isa wins on cost – living expenses run 23% 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 8% lower in Sydney. 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: $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,416 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,424 in Sydney versus $2,165 in Mount Isa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.