Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Port Hedland

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Hedland: $2,517 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Port Hedland
Learn more

Port Hedland Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Port Hedland

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

A single person spends $3,274 per month in Sydney vs $2,517 in Port Hedland, rent included.

Sydney $3,274
Port Hedland $2,517

A couple spends around $4,873 per month in Sydney vs $3,643 in Port Hedland, rent included.

Sydney $4,873
Port Hedland $3,643

A family of three spends $6,471 per month in Sydney vs $4,770 in Port Hedland, rent included.

Sydney $6,471
Port Hedland $4,770

Sydney costs about 30% more than Port Hedland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Port Hedland sit above the global median – Sydney by 142%, Port Hedland by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.78

$17.47 A$25.06

-1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$130

$84.3 A$121

7.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$17.04

$10.68 A$15.32

11.14%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.87

$4.05 A$5.81

0.99%

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

$2.80 A$4.01

$2.93 A$4.21

-4.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.29 A$3.28

-4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.83

$7.83 A$11.23

5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$10.02

$7.70 A$11.04

-9.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.40

$1.58 A$2.27

6.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.14

$2.76 A$3.97

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.37

$2.23 A$3.20

5.38%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.74

$4.84 A$6.94

11.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.87

$9.06 A$13.00

22.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.80

$9.27 A$13.30

-3.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.65

$14.47 A$20.76

13.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.94

$3.73 A$5.34

10.99%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.62

$3.06 A$4.39

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.80

$3.33 A$4.77

0.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.23

$4.73 A$6.78

-8.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.85

$2.67 A$3.83

26.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.49

$2.41 A$3.45

0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.39

$2.39 A$3.44

-0.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.68

$1.59 A$2.28

-26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$63.1

$42.72 A$61.3

3.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.42

$14.04 A$20.14

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.93

$4.82 A$6.91

-14.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.29

$5.17 A$7.41

-15.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.42

$2.81 A$4.04

9.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$218

$84.0 A$121

80.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.34

$3.47 A$4.98

7.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.56

$1.60 A$2.29

11.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$60.0

$40.98 A$58.8

2.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.30 A$1.87

10.77%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$29.9K A$42.9K

-0.91%

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

$27.5K A$39.4K

$26.6K A$38.1K

3.44%

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

$262 A$375

$206 A$295

27.30%

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

$28.69 A$41.17

$27.81 A$39.90

3.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$83.2

$57.3 A$82.2

1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$107

$56.4 A$80.9

32.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.29

$17.67 A$25.35

31.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.39

$14.12 A$20.26

25.35%

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

$2,424 A$3,477

$2,113 A$3,032

14.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$47.8K

$20.7K A$29.8K

60.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$75.7 A$109

3.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$99.2

$54.5 A$78.3

26.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$108 A$155

3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$181

$122 A$175

3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,733

$1,387 A$1,990

87.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,571

$1,210 A$1,737

48.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,527

$2,223 A$3,189

136.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,586

$1,843 A$2,644

73.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.4K

$5,770 A$8,278

134.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.5K

$4,965 A$7,124

75.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,892

$5,106 A$7,325

-19.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

5.9

2.03%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Port Hedland: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Port Hedland

$1.2K 48.1% 32.5% $582

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Port Hedland

$367 14.6% 2.3% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Port Hedland

$291 11.6% 16.6% $58

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Port Hedland

$296 11.8% 0.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Port Hedland

$107 4.2% 39.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Port Hedland

$162 6.5% 6.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Port Hedland

$85 3.4% 23.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,387 in Port Hedland. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Port Hedland, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney versus $84 in Port Hedland. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $367 – making Port Hedland the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Port Hedland

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

10:48 10:48 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

15,298

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Port Hedland 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Port Hedland

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 Port Hedland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 30% more than Port Hedland, 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 $4,912 per month in Sydney and $3,776 in Port Hedland. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Hedland, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,387 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney and $84 in Port Hedland. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Port Hedland. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,274 in Sydney and $2,517 in Port Hedland. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.