Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Northam

For one person, living is cheaper in Northam: $2,498 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Northam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,245 in Sydney versus $2,498 in Northam.

Sydney $3,245
Northam $2,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,803 in Sydney versus $3,618 in Northam.

Sydney $4,803
Northam $3,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,362 in Sydney versus $4,737 in Northam.

Sydney $6,362
Northam $4,737

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 139% above, Northam 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$24.73

$19.97 A$28.37

-12.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$128

$85.1 A$121

6.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$16.94

$10.55 A$15.00

12.99%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.72

$4.48 A$6.36

-10.04%

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

$2.88 A$4.10

$2.84 A$4.03

1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.16

$2.29 A$3.25

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.22

$8.30 A$11.79

-4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.64

$8.10 A$11.51

-16.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.42

$1.74 A$2.48

-1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$2.58 A$3.66

13.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$1.98 A$2.82

26.77%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.89

$4.48 A$6.36

23.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.73

$6.37 A$9.05

84.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.18

$9.12 A$12.96

1.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$23.72

$14.08 A$20.01

18.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.56

$2.73 A$3.88

43.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.50

$3.25 A$4.62

-2.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.94

$3.44 A$4.89

1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.23

$4.92 A$6.99

-10.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.73

$2.89 A$4.11

15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.42

$1.97 A$2.81

21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.28

$2.25 A$3.20

2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.63

$0.73 A$1.04

57.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.0

$41.37 A$58.8

7.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.47

$3.49 A$4.96

292.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.68

$4.40 A$6.25

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.72

$3.51 A$4.99

14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.57

$2.92 A$4.15

10.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$219

$80.6 A$114

91.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.08

$3.53 A$5.02

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.25

$1.46 A$2.07

8.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.0

$41.14 A$58.5

-4.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.35 A$1.91

9.63%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$26.9K A$38.2K

10.06%

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

$27.7K A$39.3K

$29.5K A$41.9K

-6.12%

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

$241 A$343

$196 A$278

23.25%

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

$27.57 A$39.18

$24.09 A$34.24

14.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$80.0

$64.3 A$91.4

-12.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$111

$56.5 A$80.2

38.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.05

$17.81 A$25.31

30.60%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$24.94

$17.30 A$24.59

1.45%

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

$2,185 A$3,105

$2,328 A$3,307

-6.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$39.5K

$23.2K A$33.0K

19.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$77.3 A$110

3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$100

$66.3 A$94.2

6.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$123 A$174

-9.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$184

$161 A$229

-19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,519

$1,391 A$1,976

78.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,525

$1,190 A$1,691

49.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$6,941

$2,173 A$3,088

124.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,395

$1,783 A$2,533

73.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,780 A$8,213

131.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$11.9K

$4,889 A$6,947

71.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,788

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.91

0.17%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Northam

$1.2K 47.6% 33% $587

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Northam

$314 12.6% 17% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Northam

$284 11.4% 12.6% $41

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Northam

$323 12.9% 8.9% $26

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Northam

$103 4.1% 42.2% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Northam

$192 7.7% 9.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Northam

$91 3.7% 19.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Sydney and $1,391 in Northam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Sydney vs $85 in Northam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $314 per month, with Northam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Northam

🕒 Local time

09:48 9:48 AM

06:48 6:48 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

6,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Northam 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Northam

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 Northam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Northam wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Northam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,867 in Sydney and $3,747 in Northam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,391 in Northam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Northam – a meal for two runs $85 versus $90 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,245 per month in Sydney versus $2,498 in Northam – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Northam 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 Northam 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 Northam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.