Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Townsville Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Townsville

😐 Solo nomad: Sydney is 1.7% more expensive than Townsville without rent, and 26.1% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Sydney is 26.2% more expensive than Townsville without rent, and 26.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.02 A$24.54
$11.56 A$17.71
38.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1 A$118
$60.8 A$93.1
26.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.6 A$14.7
$9.6 A$14.71
-
Cappuccino
$3.33 A$5.11
$3.18 A$4.87
4.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.5 A$3.83
$2.39 A$3.67
4.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2 A$3.06
$2.22 A$3.4
-9.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.33 A$9.69
$6.49 A$9.94
-2.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.09 A$10.86
$5.09 A$7.8
39.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.69 A$2.59
$1.46 A$2.23
15.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.7 A$4.13
$2.15 A$3.29
25.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.59
$1.67 A$2.56
40.12%
Eggs
$5.05 A$7.74
$4.05 A$6.21
24.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.65 A$13.25
$7.46 A$11.43
15.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.45 A$12.95
$8.36 A$12.81
1.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.8 A$21.14
$11.78 A$18.04
17.15%
Apples (1kg)
$3.18 A$4.88
$3.72 A$5.69
-14.52%
Banana (1kg)
$2.67 A$4.09
$2.95 A$4.53
-9.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 A$4.8
$3.32 A$5.08
-5.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 A$6.67
$4.23 A$6.48
3.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.56 A$3.92
$2.56 A$3.93
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 A$3.62
$2.49 A$3.81
-5.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 A$3.31
$2.11 A$3.24
2.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 A$1.91
$2.02 A$3.1
-38.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$31.93 A$48.92
$24.03 A$36.81
32.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.43 A$20.58
$10.76 A$16.48
24.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.8 A$7.35
$3.27 A$5.01
46.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.26 A$8.06
$7.56 A$11.59
-30.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.19 A$4.88
$2.08 A$3.18
53.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$139 A$212
$73.3 A$112
89.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.79 A$5.81
$3.6 A$5.51
5.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.96 A$4.54
$1.44 A$2.2
105.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$51.4 A$78.7
$48.45 A$74.2
6.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.2 A$1.84
$1.15 A$1.76
4.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.3K A$44.9K
$23.2K A$35.5K
26.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.2K A$34K
$19.7K A$30.2K
12.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 A$308
$150 A$230
34.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.73 A$36.35
$35.23 A$54
-32.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.1 A$81.3
$58.6 A$89.8
-9.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 A$94.2
$41.83 A$64.1
46.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.64 A$31.62
$14.35 A$21.98
43.83%
Cinema Ticket
$15.47 A$23.7
$15.54 A$23.8
-0.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,109 A$3,231
$1,149 A$1,760
83.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K A$28.8K
$12.1K A$18.5K
56.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.8 A$115
$95.3 A$146
-21.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.4 A$89.5
$59.9 A$91.7
-2.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 A$165
$99.3 A$152
8.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 A$203
$119 A$182
11.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,205 A$3,378
$1,229 A$1,882
79.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,462 A$2,239
$1,063 A$1,629
37.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,389 A$6,724
$2,363 A$3,620
85.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,669 A$4,090
$1,909 A$2,925
39.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$12.7K A$19.5K
$3,938 A$6,032
223.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,165 A$11K
$3,351 A$5,133
113.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Townsville
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,965 A$6,074
$4,160 A$6,373
-4.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.34
6.06
4.62%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 28, 2025

Last update for Townsville: October 28, 2025

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