Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Pakenham Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Pakenham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,352 in Sydney versus $2,647 in Pakenham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,870 in Sydney versus $3,830 in Pakenham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,389 in Sydney versus $5,013 in Pakenham.

Living in Sydney is roughly 27% more expensive than in Pakenham, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 143% above, Pakenham 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 A$25.36

$17.85 A$24.89

1.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 A$132

$86.4 A$120

9.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 A$17.24

$12.32 A$17.17

0.41%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.67

$4.00 A$5.58

1.75%

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

$2.82 A$3.93

$3.18 A$4.43

-11.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.60 A$3.62

-15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.33

$10.12 A$14.10

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 A$10.29

$8.53 A$11.89

-13.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 A$2.58

$1.25 A$1.75

48.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 A$3.97

$3.31 A$4.62

-13.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.42

$2.92 A$4.08

-16.10%

Eggs

$5.67 A$7.90

$5.91 A$8.24

-4.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 A$18.01

$8.67 A$12.08

49.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.63 A$13.42

$9.46 A$13.18

1.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 A$23.80

$15.61 A$21.77

9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 A$5.29

$4.22 A$5.89

-9.95%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$2.64 A$3.68

22.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.70

$3.21 A$4.47

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 A$6.58

$4.97 A$6.94

-5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.54

$3.17 A$4.42

2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.57

$2.53 A$3.52

1.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.46

$2.46 A$3.43

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 A$1.84

$1.68 A$2.35

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.98 A$65.5

$25.67 A$35.80

83.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.62 A$20.38

$11.97 A$16.69

22.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.20 A$5.86

$5.40 A$7.52

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 A$5.65

$5.21 A$7.26

-22.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.21 A$4.48

$3.06 A$4.26

4.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$157 A$219

$84.9 A$118

84.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 A$5.15

$4.21 A$5.87

-12.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.24

$1.40 A$1.96

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.67 A$56.7

$31.50 A$43.91

29.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.03

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

$30.6K A$42.7K

$29.3K A$40.9K

4.41%

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

$30.4K A$42.5K

$27.4K A$38.2K

11.23%

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

$224 A$313

$234 A$327

-4.20%

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

$27.89 A$38.88

$27.76 A$38.70

0.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 A$82.9

$57.8 A$80.6

2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.3 A$111

$57.5 A$80.2

37.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.63 A$34.34

$18.50 A$25.79

33.14%

Cinema Ticket

$18.37 A$25.62

$17.88 A$24.93

2.74%

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

$2,288 A$3,191

$2,467 A$3,440

-7.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K A$41.2K

$33.2K A$46.3K

-11.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 A$116

$80.8 A$113

3.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.1 A$106

$51.5 A$71.8

47.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$156

$126 A$175

-11.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 A$190

$137 A$190

-0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 A$3,676

$1,452 A$2,024

81.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 A$2,521

$1,294 A$1,805

39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,114 A$7,129

$2,258 A$3,148

126.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,057 A$4,262

$1,877 A$2,617

62.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$18.9K

$6,705 A$9,348

102.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$11.9K

$5,270 A$7,348

61.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,239 A$5,911

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.85

-0.17%

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

Last update for Sydney: September 7, 2026

Last update for Pakenham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,637 in Sydney and $1,452 in Pakenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95.0 in Sydney vs $86.0 in Pakenham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $382 per month, with Pakenham cheaper across the board.

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 Pakenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pakenham wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pakenham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,027 in Sydney and $3,971 in Pakenham 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: $2,637 in Sydney versus $1,452 in Pakenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,288 in Sydney versus $2,467 in Pakenham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Pakenham 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 Pakenham 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 Pakenham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.