Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Muswellbrook

For one person, living is cheaper in Muswellbrook: $2,464 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
118

Cost of Living Index in Muswellbrook
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Muswellbrook Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Muswellbrook

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Muswellbrook

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

A single person spends $3,274 per month in Sydney vs $2,464 in Muswellbrook, rent included.

Sydney $3,274
Muswellbrook $2,464

A couple spends around $4,873 per month in Sydney vs $3,555 in Muswellbrook, rent included.

Sydney $4,873
Muswellbrook $3,555

A family of three spends $6,471 per month in Sydney vs $4,646 in Muswellbrook, rent included.

Sydney $6,471
Muswellbrook $4,646

Sydney costs about 33% more than Muswellbrook, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Muswellbrook sit above the global median – Sydney by 142%, Muswellbrook by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.65

$16.92 A$24.15

2.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$130

$85.6 A$122

6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$16.95

$10.59 A$15.12

12.09%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.84

$3.55 A$5.07

15.21%

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

$2.80 A$3.99

$2.82 A$4.03

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.11

$2.22 A$3.16

-1.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.77

$6.93 A$9.89

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.97

$7.18 A$10.25

-2.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.20 A$1.71

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.12

$2.87 A$4.10

0.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.36

$2.19 A$3.12

7.31%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.70

$4.03 A$5.75

33.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.79

$10.41 A$14.86

6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.73

$9.40 A$13.41

-5.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.52

$15.90 A$22.70

3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.91

$2.91 A$4.16

42.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$2.49 A$3.55

29.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$2.75 A$3.93

21.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.19

$4.71 A$6.72

-7.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.83

$2.39 A$3.41

41.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.47

$2.49 A$3.55

-2.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.38

$2.72 A$3.88

-12.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.67

$1.70 A$2.43

-31.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$62.8

$41.81 A$59.7

5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.31

$14.06 A$20.07

1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.90

$4.33 A$6.18

-4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.26

$4.66 A$6.65

-5.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.39

$2.79 A$3.98

10.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$84.9 A$121

78.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.31

$3.50 A$4.99

6.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.55

$1.63 A$2.32

9.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$59.7

$40.91 A$58.4

2.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.34 A$1.91

7.46%

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

$29.6K A$42.3K

$29.8K A$42.5K

-0.45%

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

$27.5K A$39.2K

$24.4K A$34.8K

12.79%

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

$262 A$374

$140 A$200

86.32%

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

$28.69 A$40.95

$31.71 A$45.26

-9.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.8

$50.5 A$72.0

14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$107

$56.8 A$81.1

31.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.12

$17.89 A$25.54

29.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.26

$13.55 A$19.35

30.63%

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

$2,424 A$3,459

$2,166 A$3,091

11.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$47.5K

$20.2K A$28.8K

65.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$68.7 A$98.1

13.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$98.7

$61.0 A$87.1

13.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$160

$147 A$209

-23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$180

$109 A$156

15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,713

$1,393 A$1,989

86.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,558

$1,239 A$1,769

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,489

$2,220 A$3,168

136.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,562

$1,805 A$2,577

77.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.3K

$5,757 A$8,217

135.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.4K

$5,030 A$7,180

73.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,862

$6,414 A$9,154

-35.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

5.23

15.11%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Muswellbrook: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Muswellbrook

$1.2K 50.3% 30.9% $553

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Muswellbrook

$358 14.5% 4.6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Muswellbrook

$223 9% 36.1% $126

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Muswellbrook

$279 11.3% 6.4% $19

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Muswellbrook

$108 4.4% 39% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Muswellbrook

$174 7% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Muswellbrook

$84 3.4% 23.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,393 in Muswellbrook. 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 56% higher in Muswellbrook, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney versus $86 in Muswellbrook. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $358 – making Muswellbrook the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Muswellbrook

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

16,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Muswellbrook: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,274 in Sydney, $2,464 in Muswellbrook – Muswellbrook comes out roughly 25% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,912 per month in Sydney and $3,696 in Muswellbrook. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Muswellbrook, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,393 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,274 in Sydney and $2,464 in Muswellbrook. That makes Muswellbrook about 25% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Muswellbrook. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Muswellbrook, where all-in costs run around $2,464, than in Sydney at $3,274. In Muswellbrook it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Muswellbrook – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Muswellbrook is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.