Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Richmond, Australia

Name: Richmond
Address: Richmond, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Richmond: $2,620 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Richmond
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Richmond Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Richmond

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Richmond

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,267 in Sydney versus $2,620 in Richmond.

Sydney $3,267
Richmond $2,620

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,847 in Sydney versus $3,446 in Richmond.

Sydney $4,847
Richmond $3,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,428 in Sydney versus $4,271 in Richmond.

Sydney $6,428
Richmond $4,271

Living in Sydney is roughly 25% more expensive than in Richmond, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 140% above, Richmond 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.99

$10.53 A$15.04

66.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$84.9 A$121

6.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.07

$12.30 A$17.57

-2.76%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.71

$3.49 A$4.98

14.61%

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

$2.81 A$4.02

$3.13 A$4.47

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.58 A$3.69

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.62

$3.53 A$5.05

130.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.28

$8.57 A$12.24

-15.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.57 A$2.24

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.19

$2.88 A$4.12

2.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.59

$2.68 A$3.83

-6.34%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.08

$5.57 A$7.96

1.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.44

$6.95 A$9.93

75.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.30

$6.95 A$9.93

33.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.09

$7.04 A$10.06

139.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$4.04 A$5.76

-3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$3.03 A$4.32

6.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$3.17 A$4.53

8.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.19

$4.63 A$6.61

-6.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$2.98 A$4.25

12.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.57 A$3.68

-6.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.34

$2.47 A$3.53

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$1.58 A$2.26

-26.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.9

$35.11 A$50.1

29.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.98

$6.86 A$9.80

103.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.87

$5.60 A$8.00

-26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.97

$5.20 A$7.42

-19.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.46

$2.50 A$3.57

24.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$72.4 A$103

109.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.94

$4.37 A$6.24

-20.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.42 A$2.03

9.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.5

$29.92 A$42.73

32.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.45 A$2.07

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

$29.9K A$42.7K

$29.8K A$42.5K

0.45%

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

$27.5K A$39.3K

$26.2K A$37.5K

4.89%

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

$251 A$358

$236 A$337

6.33%

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

$27.76 A$39.64

$28.28 A$40.39

-1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.8

$56.1 A$80.1

3.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$47.82 A$68.3

47.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.20

$16.63 A$23.75

39.81%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.46

$17.41 A$24.86

2.41%

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

$2,358 A$3,368

$2,452 A$3,501

-3.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.8K

$30.6K A$43.6K

-11.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$115

$81.5 A$116

-1.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$99.0

$49.65 A$70.9

39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$121 A$172

-8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$182

$132 A$189

-3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,664

$1,238 A$1,769

107.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,560

$1,407 A$2,009

27.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,429

$1,937 A$2,766

168.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,508

$1,577 A$2,253

100.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.1K

$5,307 A$7,579

152.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.5K

$5,536 A$7,907

57.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,881

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.9

0.34%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Richmond: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Richmond

$1.4K 53.7% 21.5% $386

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Richmond

$323 12.3% 15.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Richmond

$320 12.2% 4.8% $16

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Richmond

$221 8.4% 26.2% $78

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Richmond

$94 3.6% 46.6% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Richmond

$173 6.6% 1% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Richmond

$83 3.2% 22.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,566 in Sydney and $1,238 in Richmond. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Sydney vs $85 in Richmond for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $323 per month, with Richmond cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Richmond

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

28,587

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sydney Richmond 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Richmond

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 Richmond: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richmond wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Richmond the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,900 in Sydney and $3,931 in Richmond 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: $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,238 in Richmond. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,267 per month in Sydney versus $2,620 in Richmond – Richmond is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Richmond runs roughly 52% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Richmond 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 Richmond are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Richmond gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.