Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Rolleston

For one person, living is cheaper in Rolleston: $1,142 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Rolleston
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Rolleston Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Rolleston

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Rolleston

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

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $1,142 in Rolleston, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Rolleston $1,142

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $2,160 in Rolleston, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Rolleston $2,160

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $3,178 in Rolleston, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Rolleston $3,178

Sydney costs about 176% more than Rolleston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Sydney sits 133% above the global median, while Rolleston is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$14.22 NZ$25.14

23.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$68.1 NZ$120

34.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$8.79 NZ$15.54

36.06%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$3.28 NZ$5.81

24.09%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$2.13 NZ$3.77

33.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$1.76 NZ$3.12

27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$6.62 NZ$11.70

14.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$6.18 NZ$10.93

20.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.65 NZ$2.92

0.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.81 NZ$3.19

53.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$1.50 NZ$2.66

61.33%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$5.66 NZ$10.02

-0.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$7.09 NZ$12.53

65.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$9.38 NZ$16.58

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$13.71 NZ$24.25

22.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.57 NZ$4.55

58.37%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$2.32 NZ$4.11

40.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$2.73 NZ$4.82

26.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$5.10 NZ$9.01

-16.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$1.79 NZ$3.16

83.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.45 NZ$2.57

58.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.29 NZ$4.05

0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$0.59 NZ$1.05

105.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$23.39 NZ$41.36

86.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$8.16 NZ$14.43

70.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$3.33 NZ$5.89

17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.30 NZ$5.83

18.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.14 NZ$2.02

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$2.44 NZ$4.32

38.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.71 NZ$3.02

-8.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$27.51 NZ$48.65

45.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.74 NZ$3.07

-19.54%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

17.49%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$24.0K NZ$42.5K

25.51%

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

$223 A$320

$108 NZ$191

105.96%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$22.38 NZ$39.58

21.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$45.15 NZ$79.9

23.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$10.08 NZ$17.82

74.21%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$341 NZ$602

544.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$6,755 NZ$11.9K

317.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$57.5 NZ$102

36.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$35.21 NZ$62.3

94.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$89.5 NZ$158

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$122 NZ$215

10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$278 NZ$491

800.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$254 NZ$449

573.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$1,025 NZ$1,813

382.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$1,082 NZ$1,914

179.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$2,022 NZ$3,576

551.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$1,805 NZ$3,192

363.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$4,358 NZ$7,707

-5.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.91

-1.18%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rolleston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Rolleston

$254 22.2% 85.2% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Rolleston

$300 26.3% 20.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Rolleston

$176 15.4% 42.5% $130

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Rolleston

$241 21.1% 19.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Rolleston

$137 12% 22.6% $40

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Rolleston

$16 * 1.4% 91% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Rolleston

$20 * 1.8% 81.6% $90

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $278 in Rolleston. 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 6% higher in Rolleston, 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 $91.0 in Sydney versus $68.0 in Rolleston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $300 – making Rolleston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇳🇿 Rolleston

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

18:47 6:47 PM

2 h ahead of Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

28,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Rolleston 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Rolleston

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 Rolleston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,152 in Sydney, $1,142 in Rolleston – roughly 176% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,728 per month in Sydney and $1,713 in Rolleston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rolleston, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,152 in Sydney and $1,142 in Rolleston. That's a gap of about 176%.

Kindergarten costs $2,196 per month in Sydney and $341 in Rolleston. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rolleston, where all-in costs run around $1,142, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Rolleston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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