Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and South Yarra

For one person, living is cheaper in South Yarra: $2,514 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in South Yarra
Learn more

South Yarra Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

South Yarra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,514

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in South Yarra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,267 in Sydney versus $2,514 in South Yarra.

Sydney $3,267
South Yarra $2,514

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,847 in Sydney versus $3,591 in South Yarra.

Sydney $4,847
South Yarra $3,591

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,428 in Sydney versus $4,668 in South Yarra.

Sydney $6,428
South Yarra $4,668

Living in Sydney is roughly 30% more expensive than in South Yarra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 140% above, South Yarra 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.66 A$25.02

-0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$83.6 A$118

8.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.94

$8.62 A$12.21

38.75%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.67

$3.61 A$5.12

10.80%

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

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.06 A$2.92

36.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$1.76 A$2.50

26.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.52

$10.09 A$14.29

-19.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.20

$8.31 A$11.77

-13.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.41

$1.57 A$2.22

8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.16

$2.85 A$4.04

3.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$1.42 A$2.02

76.76%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.02

$4.12 A$5.84

37.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.30

$10.72 A$15.19

13.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.20

$6.85 A$9.71

35.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.90

$14.97 A$21.21

12.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.53

$2.75 A$3.89

41.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$2.16 A$3.05

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.86

$1.42 A$2.01

141.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.14

$2.83 A$4.01

53.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.74

$1.36 A$1.93

146.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.40

$2.16 A$3.06

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.31

$2.38 A$3.38

-1.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.64

$1.57 A$2.22

-26.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.4

$31.45 A$44.55

44.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.82

$12.67 A$17.95

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.82

$5.56 A$7.88

-26.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.92

$5.21 A$7.37

-19.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.70 A$3.83

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$215

$85.6 A$121

77.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.90

$4.43 A$6.28

-21.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.39 A$1.96

12.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.0

$29.94 A$42.41

32.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.34 A$1.89

8.21%

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

$29.9K A$42.4K

-0.12%

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

$27.5K A$39.0K

$25.7K A$36.4K

7.18%

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

$251 A$355

$233 A$330

7.67%

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

$27.76 A$39.32

$28.22 A$39.98

-1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.2

$41.43 A$58.7

39.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$55.9 A$79.2

26.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$32.94

$15.24 A$21.59

52.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.25

$16.70 A$23.65

6.77%

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

$2,358 A$3,341

$2,427 A$3,438

-2.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.5K

$30.0K A$42.5K

-9.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$80.6 A$114

-0.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.2

$50.0 A$70.8

38.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$121 A$172

-8.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$131 A$186

-3.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,635

$1,415 A$2,005

81.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,539

$1,225 A$1,735

46.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,369

$2,227 A$3,155

133.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,471

$1,812 A$2,566

74.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,985 A$8,478

123.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$4,234 A$5,997

106.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,834

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 South Yarra: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

South Yarra

$1.2K 48.7% 31.7% $568

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

South Yarra

$325 12.9% 15.1% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

South Yarra

$303 12% 10.1% $34

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

South Yarra

$293 11.7% 2.1% $6.2

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

South Yarra

$108 4.3% 38.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

South Yarra

$172 6.9% 1.2% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

South Yarra

$89 3.6% 16% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,566 in Sydney and $1,415 in South Yarra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90 in Sydney vs $84 in South Yarra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $325 per month, with South Yarra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 South Yarra

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

25,147

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney South Yarra 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
South Yarra

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 South Yarra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Yarra is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,900 in Sydney and $3,771 in South Yarra 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 $1,415 in South Yarra. 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 $2,514 in South Yarra – South Yarra is about 23% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in South Yarra runs roughly 44% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. South Yarra 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 South Yarra are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find South Yarra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.