Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Macquarie: $2,530 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,530 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Port Macquarie $2,530

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,581 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Port Macquarie $3,581

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,633 in Port Macquarie, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Port Macquarie $4,633

Sydney costs about 29% more than Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Port Macquarie sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Port Macquarie by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.89

$17.41 A$24.77

0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$87.9 A$125

2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.01

$10.45 A$14.87

14.45%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.69

$3.96 A$5.64

1.01%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.48 A$3.53

13.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$1.62 A$2.31

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.57

$6.16 A$8.76

31.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.24

$6.22 A$8.85

15.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$2.16 A$3.07

-21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$3.12 A$4.44

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.87 A$4.09

-12.54%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.05

$5.24 A$7.45

8.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.37

$5.33 A$7.57

129.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.25

$10.33 A$14.69

-9.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.00

$12.17 A$17.31

38.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.55

$3.15 A$4.48

23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.59

$4.21 A$5.99

-23.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$2.41 A$3.43

42.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$4.86 A$6.92

-10.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.76

$2.43 A$3.46

37.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.38 A$3.39

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.33

$1.60 A$2.27

46.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.53 A$2.18

-24.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.7

$42.83 A$60.9

6.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.90

$10.32 A$14.68

35.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$4.34 A$6.17

-5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$5.38 A$7.65

-22.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.82 A$4.01

10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$92.2 A$131

64.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$3.37 A$4.80

2.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.71 A$2.43

-8.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$36.86 A$52.4

7.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.26 A$1.79

15.08%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$26.4K A$37.5K

13.26%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$22.1K A$31.4K

24.68%

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

$251 A$357

$210 A$299

19.49%

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

$27.76 A$39.48

$30.48 A$43.35

-8.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.5

$59.8 A$85.1

-3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$51.9 A$73.9

36.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.07

$9.97 A$14.18

133.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.35

$10.79 A$15.34

65.25%

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

$2,358 A$3,354

$2,172 A$3,089

8.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.7K

$21.6K A$30.7K

25.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$86.7 A$123

-7.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.6

$54.9 A$78.1

26.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$104 A$149

5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$111 A$158

15.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,649

$1,379 A$1,962

86.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,549

$1,248 A$1,776

43.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,399

$2,153 A$3,062

141.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,489

$1,740 A$2,475

81.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,822 A$8,280

129.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$4,964 A$7,060

75.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,857

$2,785 A$3,961

47.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.33

11.07%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49.3% 30.3% $544

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Port Macquarie

$354 14% 7.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Port Macquarie

$300 11.9% 10.8% $36

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Port Macquarie

$278 11% 7.1% $21

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Port Macquarie

$115 4.6% 34.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Port Macquarie

$161 6.4% 8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Port Macquarie

$73 2.9% 30.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,379 in Port Macquarie. 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 48% higher in Sydney. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $88 in Port Macquarie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $354 – making Port Macquarie the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

47,793

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sydney Port Macquarie 310 km

From you

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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 Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,267 in Sydney, $2,530 in Port Macquarie – Port Macquarie comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,795 in Port Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Macquarie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,379 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $2,530 in Port Macquarie. That makes Port Macquarie about 23% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,358 per month in Sydney and $2,172 in Port Macquarie. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,530, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Port Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Macquarie – 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.

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