Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Orange, NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Orange, NSW: $1,775 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Orange, NSW
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Orange, NSW Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Orange, NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,775

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Orange, NSW

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,245 in Sydney versus $1,775 in Orange, NSW.

Sydney $3,245
Orange, NSW $1,775

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,803 in Sydney versus $2,955 in Orange, NSW.

Sydney $4,803
Orange, NSW $2,955

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,362 in Sydney versus $4,136 in Orange, NSW.

Sydney $6,362
Orange, NSW $4,136

Living in Sydney is roughly 83% more expensive than in Orange, NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 139% above, Orange, NSW 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$14.45 A$20.79

20.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$76.8 A$111

17.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$10.29 A$14.81

15.84%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$3.39 A$4.87

18.88%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$3.10 A$4.46

-7.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.29 A$3.29

-2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$7.16 A$10.30

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$6.89 A$9.92

-1.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.14 A$1.64

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.88 A$4.15

2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$2.10 A$3.03

19.52%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$3.83 A$5.51

44.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$8.51 A$12.24

38.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$8.90 A$12.80

4.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$13.65 A$19.64

22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$2.99 A$4.30

31.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$2.48 A$3.57

27.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$3.38 A$4.86

2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$3.79 A$5.46

15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$1.78 A$2.56

87.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.48 A$3.57

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$1.98 A$2.85

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.83 A$2.63

-37.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$34.64 A$49.85

28.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$11.19 A$16.10

22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$2.76 A$3.97

44.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$4.88 A$7.02

-17.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$2.83 A$4.07

13.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$81.0 A$117

90.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$2.52 A$3.63

41.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$1.56 A$2.25

1.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$40.35 A$58.1

-2.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.31 A$1.89

12.98%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$29.0K A$41.7K

2.05%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$41.7K A$60.0K

-33.66%

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

$241 A$347

$163 A$235

47.76%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$17.45 A$25.11

57.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$49.83 A$71.7

12.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$56.2 A$80.9

38.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$17.36 A$24.98

33.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$13.19 A$18.98

33.06%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$2,130 A$3,065

2.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$19.9K A$28.6K

39.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$54.1 A$77.9

47.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$61.5 A$88.6

14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$145 A$209

-23.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$110 A$158

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$823 A$1,184

201.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$611 A$879

190.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$1,399 A$2,014

249.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$1,491 A$2,145

107.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$5,878 A$8,458

128.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$5,010 A$7,209

67.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

$4,783 A$6,882

-14.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.23

13.19%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Orange, NSW: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Orange, NSW

$611 34.4% 65.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Orange, NSW

$323 18.2% 14.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Orange, NSW

$231 13% 29.1% $95

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Orange, NSW

$258 14.6% 13% $39

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Orange, NSW

$103 5.8% 42.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Orange, NSW

$167 9.4% 5.2% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Orange, NSW

$83 4.7% 27.1% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Sydney and $823 in Orange, NSW. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orange, NSW pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sydney vs $77.0 in Orange, NSW for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $323 per month, with Orange, NSW cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Orange, NSW

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

40,127

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Orange, NSW 210 km

From you

Sydney
Orange, NSW

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 Orange, NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Orange, NSW differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($3,245 vs $1,775 including rent). Orange, NSW is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Orange, NSW. 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: $2,477 in Sydney versus $823 in Orange, NSW. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,185 in Sydney versus $2,130 in Orange, NSW. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,775 in Orange, NSW versus $3,245 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Orange, NSW but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Orange, NSW 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 Orange, NSW 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 Orange, NSW gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.