Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Penrith

For one person, living is cheaper in Penrith: $2,604 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Penrith
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Penrith Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Penrith

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Penrith

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

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $2,604 in Penrith, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Penrith $2,604

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $3,652 in Penrith, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Penrith $3,652

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $4,701 in Penrith, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Penrith $4,701

Sydney costs about 21% more than Penrith, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Penrith sit above the global median – Sydney by 133%, Penrith by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$21.03 A$30.26

-16.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$89.7 A$129

2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$10.56 A$15.19

13.26%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.04 A$2.93

99.51%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$3.16 A$4.54

-9.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.56 A$3.69

-12.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$8.57 A$12.33

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$4.96 A$7.14

49.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.57 A$2.26

5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$3.32 A$4.78

-16.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$2.54 A$3.65

-4.72%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$5.16 A$7.42

9.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$13.08 A$18.82

-10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$9.74 A$14.02

-0.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$15.40 A$22.16

8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.93 A$5.65

3.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$3.08 A$4.43

5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$3.50 A$5.04

-1.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$5.31 A$7.65

-19.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$3.17 A$4.56

3.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.80 A$4.02

-17.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.48 A$3.57

-7.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$1.34 A$1.93

-9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$45.42 A$65.4

-3.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$14.07 A$20.24

-1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$4.62 A$6.65

-15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$5.64 A$8.11

-30.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$3.17 A$4.57

-4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$78.5 A$113

91.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$4.11 A$5.92

-17.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.57 A$2.26

-0.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$42.63 A$61.3

-6.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.18 A$1.70

18.64%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$27.1K A$39.0K

7.49%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$30.0K A$43.2K

0.38%

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

$223 A$320

$183 A$263

21.83%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$26.16 A$37.65

3.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$55.4 A$79.7

0.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$51.0 A$73.4

46.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$17.66 A$25.42

35.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$15.88 A$22.86

10.58%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$2,390 A$3,439

-8.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$19.9K A$28.7K

41.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$75.3 A$108

4.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$56.1 A$80.8

21.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$108 A$155

3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$1,371 A$1,973

82.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$1,289 A$1,855

32.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$2,142 A$3,082

130.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$1,686 A$2,427

79.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$4,992 A$7,184

163.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$4,361 A$6,275

91.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.95

-1.85%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Penrith: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Penrith

$1.3K 49.5% 24.6% $420

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Penrith

$396 15.2% 4.6% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Penrith

$264 10.2% 13.5% $41

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Penrith

$300 11.5% 0.5% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Penrith

$168 6.5% 4.8% $8.6

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Penrith

$103 4% 40.6% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Penrith

$83 3.2% 24.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $1,371 in Penrith. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Sydney versus $90.0 in Penrith. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Sydney vs $396 in Penrith – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Penrith

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

13,343

💱 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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Sydney vs Penrith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 21% more than Penrith, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,728 per month in Sydney and $3,905 in Penrith. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Penrith, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 91% less in Penrith. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,196 per month in Sydney and $2,390 in Penrith. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,152 in Sydney and $2,604 in Penrith. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Penrith – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Penrith. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.