Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Nelson

For one person, living is cheaper in Nelson: $1,833 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Nelson

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $1,833 in Nelson.

Sydney $3,152
Nelson $1,833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $2,842 in Nelson.

Sydney $4,710
Nelson $2,842

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $3,852 in Nelson.

Sydney $6,268
Nelson $3,852

Living in Sydney is roughly 72% more expensive than in Nelson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 133% above, Nelson 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$13.86 NZ$24.51

26.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$64.6 NZ$114

41.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$8.53 NZ$15.08

40.21%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.24 NZ$5.74

25.62%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$1.72 NZ$3.04

65.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$1.65 NZ$2.91

36.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$7.13 NZ$12.61

6.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$5.53 NZ$9.79

34.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.90 NZ$3.36

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$2.05 NZ$3.63

35.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$1.83 NZ$3.24

32.24%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$5.70 NZ$10.08

-1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$9.09 NZ$16.08

28.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$7.34 NZ$12.98

31.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$13.70 NZ$24.22

22.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.08 NZ$5.45

32.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$2.19 NZ$3.88

48.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$3.06 NZ$5.41

12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$5.61 NZ$9.92

-23.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$2.05 NZ$3.63

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.28 NZ$2.27

79.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$1.97 NZ$3.48

16.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$1.01 NZ$1.79

19.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$24.79 NZ$43.85

76.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$9.44 NZ$16.69

47.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$3.06 NZ$5.41

27.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$2.75 NZ$4.86

42.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$2.22 NZ$3.92

36.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$1.82 NZ$3.21

85.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$33.41 NZ$59.1

19.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-13.04%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

70.45%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

37.51%

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

$223 A$320

$131 NZ$231

70.54%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$32.95 NZ$58.3

-17.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$41.79 NZ$73.9

33.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$99.3 NZ$176

-24.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$33.61 NZ$59.4

-28.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$11.01 NZ$19.48

59.49%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$440 NZ$777

399.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$12.7K NZ$22.4K

122.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$52.4 NZ$92.6

49.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$27.78 NZ$49.13

146.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$101 NZ$179

9.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$138 NZ$245

-2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$1,000 NZ$1,769

149.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$795 NZ$1,406

115.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$1,704 NZ$3,014

190.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$1,456 NZ$2,574

107.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$1,374 NZ$2,430

858.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$827 NZ$1,462

912.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$2,017 NZ$3,568

103.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.39

8.35%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nelson: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Nelson

$795 43.4% 53.5% $914

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Nelson

$312 17% 17.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Nelson

$205 11.2% 32.8% $100

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Nelson

$236 12.9% 21.1% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Nelson

$144 7.9% 18.5% $33

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Nelson

$20 * 1.1% 88.7% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Nelson

$121 6.6% 10.6% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $1,000 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 104% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $91.0 in Sydney vs $65.0 in Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $312 per month, with Nelson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇳🇿 Nelson

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

2 h ahead of Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

51,100

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sydney Nelson 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Nelson

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 Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nelson the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 104% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $1,000 in Nelson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,196 in Sydney versus $440 in Nelson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nelson – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,833 in Nelson versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Nelson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.