Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Port Douglas Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Port Douglas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Sydney versus $2,227 in Port Douglas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,168 in Sydney versus $3,303 in Port Douglas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,578 in Sydney versus $4,378 in Port Douglas.

Living in Sydney is roughly 24% more expensive than Port Douglas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 106% above, Port Douglas 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 A$22.98

$11.61 A$16.18

42.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 A$110

$81.3 A$113

-2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 A$13.84

$10.64 A$14.83

-6.67%

Cappuccino

$3.38 A$4.71

$3.79 A$5.28

-10.82%

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

$2.55 A$3.55

$2.74 A$3.82

-6.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.74

$2.26 A$3.15

-12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.67 A$9.30

$6.49 A$9.04

2.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 A$10.24

$7.09 A$9.89

3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 A$2.28

$1.68 A$2.34

-2.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.80

$2.53 A$3.53

7.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 A$3.17

$2.80 A$3.90

-18.57%

Eggs

$5.04 A$7.03

$3.88 A$5.40

29.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.43

$7.79 A$10.86

14.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 A$11.63

$9.16 A$12.76

-8.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 A$19.68

$12.58 A$17.53

12.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.51

$3.02 A$4.21

7.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.76

$2.29 A$3.19

17.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 A$4.36

$2.76 A$3.85

13.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$7.13 A$9.94

-38.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.41

$2.31 A$3.22

5.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.25

$2.32 A$3.24

0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.08

$2.33 A$3.24

-5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 A$1.74

$2.87 A$4.00

-56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.36 A$45.10

$28.87 A$40.23

12.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.11 A$19.67

$11.74 A$16.36

20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.66 A$6.49

$3.38 A$4.70

37.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$3.60 A$5.02

48.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 A$4.57

$2.53 A$3.52

29.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$141 A$196

$65.3 A$91.0

115.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.56

$6.67 A$9.30

-40.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 A$4.08

$1.56 A$2.18

87.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.5 A$73.1

$33.73 A$47.01

55.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.74

$1.15 A$1.60

8.70%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$23.0K A$32.0K

28.12%

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

$22.7K A$31.6K

$19.5K A$27.2K

16.05%

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

$204 A$284

$154 A$214

32.72%

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

$24.13 A$33.62

$36.87 A$51.4

-34.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 A$72.3

$59.5 A$83.0

-12.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$85.2

$49.10 A$68.4

24.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 A$29.04

$15.63 A$21.79

33.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 A$21.90

$13.20 A$18.39

19.02%

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

$2,074 A$2,890

$1,610 A$2,244

28.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K A$26.4K

$12.2K A$16.9K

55.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.9 A$102

$85.0 A$118

-14.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 A$81.0

$47.37 A$66.0

22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$151

$100 A$139

7.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$186

$135 A$188

-1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 A$3,057

$1,267 A$1,765

73.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 A$2,077

$1,056 A$1,472

41.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,416 A$6,154

$2,003 A$2,791

120.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 A$3,660

$1,653 A$2,304

58.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$18.6K

$6,336 A$8,830

111.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,589 A$10.6K

$5,303 A$7,389

43.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,193 A$5,843

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

6.96

-8.91%

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

Last update for Sydney: May 31, 2026

Last update for Port Douglas: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,194 in Sydney and $1,267 in Port Douglas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $81.0 in Port Douglas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $354 per month, with Sydney 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 Port Douglas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Port Douglas differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,759 vs $2,227 including rent). Port Douglas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,138 in Sydney and $3,341 in Port Douglas 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: $2,194 in Sydney versus $1,267 in Port Douglas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sydney pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Douglas – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $79.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,227 in Port Douglas versus $2,759 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Port Douglas but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Port Douglas 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 Port Douglas 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 Port Douglas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.