Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Warrnambool

For one person, living is cheaper in Warrnambool: $2,544 a month against $3,274 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Warrnambool
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Warrnambool Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,274

/mo nomad

Warrnambool

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Warrnambool

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

A single person spends $3,274 per month in Sydney vs $2,544 in Warrnambool, rent included.

Sydney $3,274
Warrnambool $2,544

A couple spends around $4,873 per month in Sydney vs $3,638 in Warrnambool, rent included.

Sydney $4,873
Warrnambool $3,638

A family of three spends $6,471 per month in Sydney vs $4,733 in Warrnambool, rent included.

Sydney $6,471
Warrnambool $4,733

Sydney costs about 29% more than Warrnambool, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Warrnambool sit above the global median – Sydney by 142%, Warrnambool by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 A$24.67

$17.21 A$24.58

0.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 A$130

$83.3 A$119

9.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 A$16.96

$9.35 A$13.35

26.95%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.85

$4.15 A$5.92

-1.45%

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

$2.80 A$3.99

$3.16 A$4.51

-11.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.11

$2.58 A$3.68

-15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 A$11.77

$9.76 A$13.94

-15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 A$9.98

$8.24 A$11.77

-15.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.57 A$2.24

7.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.12

$2.97 A$4.24

-3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.36

$2.56 A$3.65

-8.20%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.70

$4.69 A$6.70

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.80

$10.71 A$15.30

3.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.74

$10.02 A$14.31

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.48 A$23.54

$14.89 A$21.26

10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.92

$4.05 A$5.79

2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.60

$1.70 A$2.43

89.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.78

$3.22 A$4.60

4.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 A$6.20

$4.80 A$6.85

-9.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 A$4.83

$3.01 A$4.30

12.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.47

$2.55 A$3.64

-4.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 A$3.38

$2.51 A$3.58

-5.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 A$1.67

$1.62 A$2.31

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.01 A$62.9

$44.83 A$64.0

-1.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$20.33

$12.43 A$17.76

14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 A$5.91

$5.56 A$7.94

-25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.26

$5.19 A$7.41

-15.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.40

$2.72 A$3.89

13.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$217

$83.9 A$120

80.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.31

$4.58 A$6.54

-18.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.55

$1.38 A$1.98

29.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 A$59.7

$30.49 A$43.54

37.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.06

$1.25 A$1.79

15.20%

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

$29.6K A$42.3K

$28.9K A$41.3K

2.60%

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

$27.5K A$39.3K

$25.9K A$37.0K

6.26%

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

$262 A$374

$233 A$332

12.45%

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

$28.69 A$40.98

$28.40 A$40.55

1.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.9

$57.0 A$81.4

1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.9 A$107

$56.5 A$80.7

32.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 A$33.14

$17.48 A$24.96

32.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.28

$17.62 A$25.17

0.45%

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

$2,424 A$3,461

$2,420 A$3,456

0.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K A$47.6K

$30.1K A$43.0K

10.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$112

$79.2 A$113

-1.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.1 A$98.7

$51.0 A$72.9

35.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$160

$49.69 A$71.0

125.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$180

$134 A$191

-6.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 A$3,715

$1,412 A$2,017

84.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,559

$1,208 A$1,725

48.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,247 A$7,493

$2,273 A$3,246

130.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,196 A$4,565

$1,789 A$2,555

78.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K A$19.4K

$5,883 A$8,402

130.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,711 A$12.4K

$4,959 A$7,082

75.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,107 A$5,865

$1,347 A$1,924

204.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

4.87

23.61%

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

Last update for Sydney: November 2, 2026

Last update for Warrnambool: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.7%

Warrnambool

$1.2K 47.5% 32.6% $584

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$375 11.5%

Warrnambool

$375 14.8% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$348 10.6%

Warrnambool

$318 12.5% 8.7% $30

Eating Out

Sydney

$298 9.1%

Warrnambool

$304 11.9% 1.9% $5.7

Getting Around

Sydney

$177 5.4%

Warrnambool

$106 4.2% 39.9% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$174 5.3%

Warrnambool

$141 5.6% 18.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.4%

Warrnambool

$92 3.6% 16.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,602 in Sydney versus $1,412 in Warrnambool. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sydney are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Sydney versus $83 in Warrnambool. Groceries tell a different story – $375 in Sydney vs $375 in Warrnambool – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Warrnambool

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

29,284

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Warrnambool 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Warrnambool

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 Warrnambool: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,274 in Sydney, $2,544 in Warrnambool – Warrnambool comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,912 per month in Sydney and $3,816 in Warrnambool. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Warrnambool, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,412 there versus $2,602 in Sydney.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,274 in Sydney and $2,544 in Warrnambool. That makes Warrnambool about 22% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,424 per month in Sydney and $2,420 in Warrnambool. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Warrnambool, where all-in costs run around $2,544, than in Sydney at $3,274. In Warrnambool it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sydney has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,544 in Warrnambool to $3,274 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Warrnambool. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.