Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Yamba NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Yamba NSW: $2,331 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Yamba NSW
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Yamba NSW Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Yamba NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Yamba NSW

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,331 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Yamba NSW $2,331

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,399 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Yamba NSW $3,399

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,466 in Yamba NSW, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Yamba NSW $4,466

Sydney costs about 40% more than Yamba NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Yamba NSW sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Yamba NSW by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.85 A$25.28

-1.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$50.9 A$72.0

77.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.94

$11.11 A$15.73

7.65%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.67

$4.52 A$6.40

-11.50%

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

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.44 A$3.46

15.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.05 A$2.90

8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.52

$7.90 A$11.19

2.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.20

$6.96 A$9.86

3.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.41

$1.62 A$2.30

4.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.16

$2.68 A$3.79

9.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$2.25 A$3.19

11.56%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.02

$4.90 A$6.94

15.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.30

$9.25 A$13.10

32.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.20

$9.10 A$12.89

2.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.90

$14.23 A$20.16

18.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.53

$4.34 A$6.14

-10.14%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$3.17 A$4.50

1.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.86

$3.02 A$4.28

13.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.14

$4.82 A$6.82

-10.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.74

$2.87 A$4.06

16.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.40

$2.34 A$3.32

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.31

$2.33 A$3.30

0.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.64

$1.24 A$1.75

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.4

$38.44 A$54.5

18.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.82

$12.66 A$17.93

10.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.82

$5.30 A$7.50

-22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.92

$4.92 A$6.97

-15.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.74 A$3.88

13.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$215

$73.1 A$104

107.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.90

$3.09 A$4.38

11.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.87 A$2.65

-16.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.0

$41.70 A$59.1

-5.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.41 A$1.99

2.84%

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

$29.9K A$42.4K

$29.8K A$42.2K

0.31%

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

$27.5K A$39.0K

$25.5K A$36.1K

7.84%

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

$251 A$355

$162 A$230

54.39%

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

$27.76 A$39.32

$26.59 A$37.67

4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.2

$60.3 A$85.4

-3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$58.0 A$82.2

21.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$32.94

$19.49 A$27.61

19.29%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.25

$14.27 A$20.21

24.95%

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

$2,358 A$3,341

$1,974 A$2,796

19.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.5K

$12.8K A$18.2K

111.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$84.8 A$120

-5.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.2

$44.72 A$63.4

54.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$111 A$158

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$110 A$156

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,635

$1,424 A$2,017

80.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,539

$1,076 A$1,524

66.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,369

$2,037 A$2,886

155.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,471

$1,765 A$2,500

78.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$5,125 A$7,260

161.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$5,432 A$7,695

60.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,834

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.81

1.89%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Yamba NSW: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Yamba NSW

$1.1K 46.2% 40% $716

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Yamba NSW

$363 15.6% 4.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Yamba NSW

$249 10.7% 25.9% $87

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Yamba NSW

$302 12.9% 0.9% $2.6

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Yamba NSW

$97 4.1% 45% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Yamba NSW

$158 6.8% 9.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Yamba NSW

$87 3.7% 18.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,424 in Yamba NSW. 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 $90 in Sydney versus $51 in Yamba NSW. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $363 – making Yamba NSW the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Yamba NSW

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

6,913

💱 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

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Between locations

Sydney Yamba NSW 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Yamba NSW

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 Yamba NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,267 in Sydney, $2,331 in Yamba NSW – Yamba NSW comes out roughly 29% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,497 in Yamba NSW. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yamba NSW, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,424 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney and $51 in Yamba NSW. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $2,331 in Yamba NSW. That makes Yamba NSW about 29% cheaper.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Yamba NSW, where all-in costs run around $2,331, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Yamba NSW it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yamba NSW – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

For expats, Yamba NSW is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 29% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.