Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Newcastle, Australia

Name: Newcastle
Address: Newcastle, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Newcastle: $2,577 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
Learn more

Newcastle Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Newcastle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,245 in Sydney versus $2,577 in Newcastle.

Sydney $3,245
Newcastle $2,577

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,803 in Sydney versus $3,805 in Newcastle.

Sydney $4,803
Newcastle $3,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,362 in Sydney versus $5,033 in Newcastle.

Sydney $6,362
Newcastle $5,033

Living in Sydney is roughly 26% more expensive than in Newcastle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 139% above, Newcastle 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$24.76

$20.75 A$29.52

-16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$128

$104 A$147

-12.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$16.95

$10.52 A$14.97

13.31%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.73

$3.82 A$5.43

5.50%

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

$2.88 A$4.10

$3.29 A$4.68

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.17

$1.76 A$2.50

26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.23

$8.85 A$12.58

-10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.65

$6.79 A$9.66

-0.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.43

$1.42 A$2.02

20.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$2.70 A$3.84

8.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$1.95 A$2.78

28.72%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.90

$4.67 A$6.64

18.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.75

$10.17 A$14.46

15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.19

$8.86 A$12.60

4.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$23.75

$15.94 A$22.67

4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.57

$3.56 A$5.07

10.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.50

$2.95 A$4.20

7.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.95

$2.90 A$4.12

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.24

$4.39 A$6.25

-0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.73

$2.89 A$4.11

15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.32 A$3.29

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.28

$2.50 A$3.56

-7.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.64

$1.40 A$1.99

-17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.1

$31.88 A$45.34

39.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.49

$10.65 A$15.14

28.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.69

$4.34 A$6.17

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.73

$3.29 A$4.68

22.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.57

$2.74 A$3.90

17.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$219

$150 A$214

2.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.08

$2.48 A$3.53

43.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.25

$1.57 A$2.23

0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.1

$40.98 A$58.3

-3.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.19 A$1.69

24.37%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$29.7K A$42.3K

-0.63%

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

$27.7K A$39.3K

$25.1K A$35.7K

10.30%

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

$241 A$343

$218 A$310

10.70%

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

$27.57 A$39.21

$26.13 A$37.16

5.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$80.1

$56.6 A$80.5

-0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$111

$44.94 A$63.9

73.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.08

$17.86 A$25.41

30.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$24.97

$14.09 A$20.04

24.56%

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

$2,185 A$3,108

$2,158 A$3,070

1.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$39.5K

$13.7K A$19.4K

103.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$80.5 A$114

-0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$101

$46.87 A$66.7

50.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$119 A$170

-7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$184

$118 A$168

9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,523

$1,550 A$2,205

59.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,527

$1,197 A$1,702

48.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$6,948

$2,465 A$3,506

98.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,399

$1,864 A$2,652

65.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.1K

$13.5K A$19.2K

-0.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$11.9K

$5,833 A$8,296

43.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,794

$3,099 A$4,408

31.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

6.55

-9.62%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Newcastle: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Newcastle

$1.2K 46.4% 32.7% $580

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Newcastle

$349 13.6% 7.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Newcastle

$301 11.7% 7.5% $24

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Newcastle

$321 12.5% 8.3% $25

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Newcastle

$172 6.7% 3.8% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Newcastle

$164 6.4% 6.7% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Newcastle

$73 2.8% 35.4% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Sydney and $1,550 in Newcastle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Sydney vs $104 in Newcastle. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $349, with Newcastle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

508,437

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Newcastle 120 km

From you

Sydney
Newcastle

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 Newcastle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newcastle is cheaper overall, especially in leisure, groceries, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,550 in Newcastle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,185 in Sydney versus $2,158 in Newcastle. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sydney – a meal for two runs $90 versus $104 in Newcastle. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Newcastle 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 Newcastle are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Newcastle wins on affordability, Sydney on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.