Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Romsey Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Romsey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Sydney versus $2,272 in Romsey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,241 in Sydney versus $3,352 in Romsey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,658 in Sydney versus $4,432 in Romsey.

Living in Sydney is roughly 24% more expensive than in Romsey, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 111% above, Romsey 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 A$23.24

$19.40 A$27.79

-16.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 A$114

$77.8 A$111

1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.74

$9.79 A$14.02

-2.04%

Cappuccino

$3.29 A$4.72

$3.67 A$5.25

-10.35%

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

$2.46 A$3.53

$2.58 A$3.70

-4.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.82

$2.38 A$3.40

-17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.50

$7.41 A$10.62

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$10.21

$7.12 A$10.20

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.36

$1.50 A$2.15

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.64 A$3.79

1.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

Eggs

$5.03 A$7.21

$4.82 A$6.91

4.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.31

$8.95 A$12.82

-4.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 A$11.99

$9.24 A$13.24

-9.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 A$20.10

$14.86 A$21.29

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.63

$3.15 A$4.51

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.94

$2.90 A$4.15

-5.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.56

$2.85 A$4.09

11.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.25

$3.89 A$5.58

12.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.51

$2.72 A$3.90

-9.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.38

$2.35 A$3.37

0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.21 A$3.17

-2.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.64 A$2.35

-21.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.49 A$46.55

$32.58 A$46.68

-0.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.00

$13.75 A$19.69

1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 A$6.62

$4.46 A$6.39

3.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 A$7.60

$5.21 A$7.47

1.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 A$4.56

$2.67 A$3.83

19.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 A$205

$64.4 A$92.3

121.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 A$5.48

$3.62 A$5.18

5.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 A$4.35

$1.40 A$2.01

116.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 A$75.0

$26.70 A$38.26

95.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.71

$1.14 A$1.64

5.26%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$28.6K A$41.0K

-0.70%

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

$22.4K A$32.1K

$23.6K A$33.8K

-5.01%

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

$198 A$284

$153 A$219

29.57%

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

$24.17 A$34.62

$21.10 A$30.23

14.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$74.2

$50.6 A$72.5

2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 A$86.5

$49.04 A$70.3

23.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.22 A$30.40

$15.86 A$22.72

33.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 A$22.52

$16.57 A$23.73

-5.13%

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

$2,085 A$2,988

$1,771 A$2,537

17.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K A$27.0K

$19.5K A$27.9K

-3.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 A$108

$68.7 A$98.4

9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 A$85.0

$53.8 A$77.1

10.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$152

$105 A$151

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$188

$105 A$150

25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 A$3,126

$1,288 A$1,846

69.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 A$2,157

$1,066 A$1,527

41.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,461 A$6,391

$2,027 A$2,904

120.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 A$3,865

$1,708 A$2,447

57.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K A$18.4K

$6,670 A$9,556

92.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,341 A$10.5K

$5,780 A$8,281

27.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,217 A$6,042

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

6.19

2.42%

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

Last update for Sydney: July 13, 2026

Last update for Romsey: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,182 in Sydney and $1,288 in Romsey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sydney vs $78.0 in Romsey. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $353, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

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 Romsey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Romsey differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($2,824 vs $2,272 including rent). Romsey is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,235 in Sydney and $3,407 in Romsey 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: $2,182 in Sydney versus $1,288 in Romsey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,824 per month in Sydney versus $2,272 in Romsey – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Romsey runs roughly 122% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,272 in Romsey versus $2,824 in Sydney, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Romsey but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Romsey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Romsey are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Romsey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.