Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Sunshine Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunshine Coast: $2,343 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Sunshine Coast

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,343 in Sunshine Coast, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Sunshine Coast $2,343

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,553 in Sunshine Coast, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Sunshine Coast $3,553

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,762 in Sunshine Coast, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Sunshine Coast $4,762

Sydney costs about 39% more than Sunshine Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Sunshine Coast sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Sunshine Coast by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.88

$17.72 A$25.19

-1.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$73.9 A$105

22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.00

$10.54 A$14.99

13.47%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.69

$3.96 A$5.63

1.01%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$2.88 A$4.09

-2.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$2.74 A$3.90

-18.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.57

$7.48 A$10.63

8.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.24

$9.21 A$13.09

-21.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.33 A$1.89

27.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.18

$1.97 A$2.79

49.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.58

$2.05 A$2.91

22.44%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.05

$4.74 A$6.74

19.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.37

$11.17 A$15.88

9.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$7.99 A$11.36

16.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.99

$21.27 A$30.24

-20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.55

$3.15 A$4.47

23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$2.46 A$3.50

30.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$3.15 A$4.48

8.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$4.05 A$5.76

6.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.76

$2.17 A$3.08

54.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$1.68 A$2.39

42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.33

$2.22 A$3.15

5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$2.31 A$3.29

-49.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.7

$47.13 A$67.0

-3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.89

$15.54 A$22.09

-9.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$5.51 A$7.83

-25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$5.92 A$8.41

-29.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$0.37 A$0.52

743.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$24.32 A$34.58

524.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$2.12 A$3.02

63.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$1.60 A$2.27

-2.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$36.31 A$51.6

8.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.33 A$1.89

9.02%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$31.3K A$44.5K

-4.46%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$31.1K A$44.2K

-11.50%

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

$251 A$357

$139 A$198

80.15%

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

$27.76 A$39.47

$43.15 A$61.4

-35.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.5

$66.7 A$94.9

-13.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$51.8 A$73.6

36.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.06

$16.50 A$23.47

40.91%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.35

$15.63 A$22.22

14.08%

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

$2,358 A$3,353

$2,168 A$3,082

8.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$65.0 A$92.5

23.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$112 A$160

-38.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$96.4 A$137

14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$99.8 A$142

27.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,648

$1,351 A$1,921

89.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,549

$1,130 A$1,607

58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,396

$2,410 A$3,426

115.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,488

$2,026 A$2,881

55.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,540 A$7,878

141.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$5,183 A$7,370

68.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,856

$3,508 A$4,989

17.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.75

2.96%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3% 36.9% $662

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1% 1.2% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6% 26% $87

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8% 0% $0.1

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5% 79.6% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2% 3.7% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5% 21.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,351 in Sunshine Coast. 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 17% 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 $74 in Sunshine Coast. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $378 – making Sunshine Coast the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

284,131

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sydney Sunshine Coast 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
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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 Sunshine Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 39%, 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 $3,515 in Sunshine Coast. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sunshine Coast, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,351 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $2,343 in Sunshine Coast. That’s a gap of about 39%.

Kindergarten costs $2,358 per month in Sydney and $2,168 in Sunshine Coast. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Sunshine Coast – 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 Sunshine Coast. 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.