Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Sale Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Sale

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,824 per month in Sydney vs $2,207 in Sale, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,241 per month in Sydney vs $3,305 in Sale, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,658 per month in Sydney vs $4,403 in Sale, rent included.

Sydney costs about 28% more than Sale, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Sydney and Sale sit above the global median – Sydney by 111%, Sale by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 A$23.24

$16.42 A$23.52

-1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 A$114

$78.7 A$113

0.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.74

$9.69 A$13.89

-1.03%

Cappuccino

$3.29 A$4.72

$3.45 A$4.95

-4.64%

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

$2.46 A$3.53

$2.63 A$3.77

-6.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.82

$2.13 A$3.05

-7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.50

$6.42 A$9.20

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$10.21

$7.07 A$10.13

0.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.36

$1.44 A$2.07

14.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.36 A$3.38

13.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.95 A$2.79

20.00%

Eggs

$5.03 A$7.21

$4.34 A$6.22

15.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.31

$8.43 A$12.08

1.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 A$11.99

$8.48 A$12.15

-1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 A$20.10

$13.53 A$19.38

3.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.63

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.94

$2.71 A$3.89

1.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.56

$2.89 A$4.14

10.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.25

$4.01 A$5.75

8.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.51

$2.51 A$3.60

-2.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.38

$2.12 A$3.03

11.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.18 A$3.13

-0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.54 A$2.20

-16.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.49 A$46.55

$31.31 A$44.85

3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.00

$14.75 A$21.14

-5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 A$6.62

$4.64 A$6.64

-0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 A$7.60

$5.46 A$7.83

-2.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 A$4.56

$2.63 A$3.77

20.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 A$205

$64.0 A$91.7

123.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 A$5.48

$3.65 A$5.23

4.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 A$4.35

$1.60 A$2.29

89.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 A$75.0

$33.77 A$48.38

54.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.71

$1.18 A$1.69

1.69%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$29.4K A$42.2K

-3.54%

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

$22.4K A$32.1K

$22.3K A$32.0K

0.22%

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

$198 A$284

$185 A$265

6.97%

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

$24.17 A$34.62

$27.68 A$39.65

-12.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$74.2

$53.1 A$76.0

-2.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 A$86.5

$49.22 A$70.5

22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.22 A$30.40

$15.58 A$22.32

36.20%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 A$22.52

$12.99 A$18.61

21.02%

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

$2,085 A$2,988

$1,603 A$2,297

30.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K A$27.0K

$12.0K A$17.1K

57.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 A$108

$69.0 A$98.9

8.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 A$85.0

$51.2 A$73.4

15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$152

$99.1 A$142

7.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$188

$109 A$156

20.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 A$3,126

$1,246 A$1,785

75.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 A$2,157

$1,060 A$1,519

41.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,461 A$6,391

$2,010 A$2,880

121.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 A$3,865

$1,708 A$2,448

57.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K A$18.4K

$6,848 A$9,811

87.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,341 A$10.5K

$5,151 A$7,379

42.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,217 A$6,042

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

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

Last update for Sydney: July 13, 2026

Last update for Sale: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,182 in Sydney versus $1,246 in Sale. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Sydney versus $79.0 in Sale. Groceries tell a different story – $347 in Sydney vs $338 in Sale – so Sale wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Sale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,824 in Sydney, $2,207 in Sale – roughly 28% apart. Sydney costs more across the board, with Getting Around showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,235 per month in Sydney and $3,311 in Sale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 3% more in Sydney, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Sydney and $79.0 in Sale. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sale, where all-in costs run around $2,207, than in Sydney at $2,824. In Sale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sale – 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 Sale. 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.