Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Tarneit Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Tarneit

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,824 per month in Sydney vs $2,205 in Tarneit, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,241 per month in Sydney vs $3,286 in Tarneit, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,658 per month in Sydney vs $4,367 in Tarneit, rent included.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.22 A$23.24

$16.54 A$23.69

-1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 A$114

$78.5 A$112

1.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.74

$9.70 A$13.90

-1.13%

Cappuccino

$3.29 A$4.72

$3.41 A$4.89

-3.52%

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

$2.46 A$3.53

$2.53 A$3.63

-2.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.82

$2.11 A$3.02

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 A$9.50

$6.45 A$9.25

2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 A$10.21

$7.27 A$10.42

-2.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.36

$1.45 A$2.08

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 A$3.82

$2.45 A$3.51

8.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.35

$1.95 A$2.79

20.00%

Eggs

$5.03 A$7.21

$4.40 A$6.30

14.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.59 A$12.31

$8.41 A$12.05

2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 A$11.99

$8.17 A$11.71

2.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 A$20.10

$13.73 A$19.67

2.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.63

$3.34 A$4.79

-3.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.94

$2.74 A$3.92

0.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.56

$2.95 A$4.23

7.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 A$6.25

$4.17 A$5.98

4.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.51

$2.49 A$3.56

-1.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.38

$2.20 A$3.15

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.11 A$3.02

2.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.52 A$2.17

-15.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.49 A$46.55

$31.22 A$44.72

4.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.00

$15.20 A$21.78

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.62 A$6.62

$4.55 A$6.53

1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 A$7.60

$5.47 A$7.83

-3.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 A$4.56

$2.58 A$3.70

23.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 A$205

$65.7 A$94.1

117.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 A$5.48

$3.64 A$5.21

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 A$4.35

$1.60 A$2.30

89.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.3 A$75.0

$33.07 A$47.38

58.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 A$1.71

$1.13 A$1.62

6.19%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$28.9K A$41.4K

-1.82%

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

$22.4K A$32.1K

$22.9K A$32.9K

-2.40%

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

$198 A$284

$185 A$265

7.27%

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

$24.17 A$34.62

$27.86 A$39.91

-13.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 A$74.2

0.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 A$86.5

$48.28 A$69.2

25.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.22 A$30.40

$15.46 A$22.15

37.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 A$22.52

$13.23 A$18.96

18.82%

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

$2,085 A$2,988

$1,623 A$2,325

28.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K A$27.0K

$11.9K A$17.0K

58.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 A$108

$68.0 A$97.5

10.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 A$85.0

$50.8 A$72.7

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$152

$97.7 A$140

8.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$188

$106 A$152

24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,182 A$3,126

$1,249 A$1,790

74.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 A$2,157

$1,070 A$1,533

40.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,461 A$6,391

$1,983 A$2,841

125.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 A$3,865

$1,656 A$2,372

62.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.8K A$18.4K

$5,291 A$7,581

142.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,341 A$10.5K

$5,109 A$7,320

43.69%

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 Tarneit: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,182 in Sydney versus $1,249 in Tarneit. 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 Tarneit. Groceries tell a different story – $347 in Sydney vs $340 in Tarneit – so Tarneit 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 Tarneit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,824 in Sydney, $2,205 in Tarneit – 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 $3,307 in Tarneit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,824 in Sydney and $2,205 in Tarneit. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Tarneit, where all-in costs run around $2,205, than in Sydney at $2,824. In Tarneit it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tarneit – 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 Tarneit. 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.