Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Rockhampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockhampton: $1,987 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 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
95

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
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Rockhampton Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,987

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Rockhampton

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $1,987 in Rockhampton, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Rockhampton $1,987

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,229 in Rockhampton, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Rockhampton $3,229

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,471 in Rockhampton, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Rockhampton $4,471

Sydney costs about 64% more than Rockhampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Rockhampton sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Rockhampton by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.98

$20.51 A$29.27

-14.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$129

$83.9 A$120

7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.07

$9.90 A$14.14

20.81%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.71

$5.01 A$7.15

-20.16%

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

$2.81 A$4.01

$2.40 A$3.43

17.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.77 A$3.96

-19.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.61

$7.66 A$10.94

6.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.28

$6.47 A$9.23

11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.43

$2.38 A$3.40

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.19

$2.34 A$3.34

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.59

$2.17 A$3.09

15.67%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.08

$3.84 A$5.48

47.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.44

$6.86 A$9.79

78.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.29

$11.15 A$15.92

-16.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$24.08

$15.74 A$22.46

7.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.57

$2.66 A$3.80

46.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$2.06 A$2.94

56.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$1.87 A$2.67

83.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.18

$4.95 A$7.07

-12.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$1.99 A$2.84

68.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.32 A$3.32

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.34

$1.92 A$2.75

21.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$2.23 A$3.18

-47.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.9

$37.33 A$53.3

21.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.97

$15.17 A$21.66

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.86

$3.52 A$5.02

16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.96

$5.93 A$8.47

-29.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.46

$1.72 A$2.46

81.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$63.2 A$90.2

140.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.94

$3.46 A$4.93

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$1.76 A$2.51

-11.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.4

$39.29 A$56.1

0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.21 A$1.73

19.83%

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

$29.9K A$42.7K

$29.8K A$42.6K

0.23%

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

$27.5K A$39.3K

$22.9K A$32.7K

20.28%

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

$251 A$358

$203 A$290

23.29%

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

$27.76 A$39.61

$23.89 A$34.10

16.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.8

$67.6 A$96.5

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$101

$39.77 A$56.8

77.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.19

$14.23 A$20.31

63.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.44

$15.89 A$22.68

12.21%

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

$2,358 A$3,366

$1,776 A$2,535

32.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.8K

$6,584 A$9,398

312.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$115

$127 A$182

-36.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.9

$59.5 A$85.0

16.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$158

$141 A$202

-21.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$182

$64.0 A$91.3

99.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,662

$819 A$1,169

213.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,558

$678 A$968

164.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,425

$1,625 A$2,319

220.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,505

$1,549 A$2,211

103.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,878

$3,315 A$4,731

24.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

6.27

-5.58%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Rockhampton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Rockhampton

$678 34.1% 62.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Rockhampton

$358 18% 6.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Rockhampton

$295 14.8% 12.4% $42

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Rockhampton

$326 16.4% 9% $27

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Rockhampton

$82 4.2% 53.1% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Rockhampton

$176 8.9% 1.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Rockhampton

$72 3.6% 32.7% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $819 in Rockhampton. 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 Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $84 in Rockhampton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $358 – making Rockhampton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

01:11 1:11 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

63,151

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sydney Rockhampton 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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 Rockhampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $2,981 in Rockhampton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rockhampton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $819 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $1,987 in Rockhampton. That makes Rockhampton about 39% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Rockhampton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Rockhampton, where all-in costs run around $1,987, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Rockhampton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rockhampton – 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 Rockhampton. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.