Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Townsville: $2,740 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
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Townsville Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,740

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Townsville and in Sydney

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Townsville and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,740 per month in Townsville vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Townsville $2,740
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $4,002 per month in Townsville vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Townsville $4,002
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $5,265 per month in Townsville vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Townsville $5,265
Sydney $6,268

Townsville is about 13% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Townsville and Sydney sit above the global median – Townsville by 103%, Sydney by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 A$30.13

$17.57 A$25.29

19.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 A$97.3

$91.5 A$132

-26.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 A$16.82

$11.96 A$17.21

-2.26%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.18

$4.07 A$5.85

-11.55%

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

$2.49 A$3.59

$2.85 A$4.10

-12.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.43

$2.25 A$3.24

5.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 A$11.66

$7.60 A$10.94

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.98

$7.43 A$10.69

-6.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 A$2.66

$1.66 A$2.38

11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 A$3.15

$2.78 A$4.00

-21.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 A$2.06

$2.42 A$3.49

-40.91%

Eggs

$5.30 A$7.63

$5.64 A$8.12

-6.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 A$11.29

$11.71 A$16.85

-33.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 A$14.29

$9.66 A$13.89

2.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 A$19.05

$16.75 A$24.10

-20.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.69

$4.07 A$5.85

-2.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.80

$3.25 A$4.68

-18.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.13

$3.44 A$4.96

3.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$6.05

$4.28 A$6.16

-1.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$3.28 A$4.72

-21.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.63

$2.30 A$3.30

9.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.30

$2.30 A$3.31

-0.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$1.21 A$1.74

76.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.34 A$43.66

$43.71 A$62.9

-30.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 A$14.92

$13.88 A$19.97

-25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.70 A$9.65

$3.90 A$5.62

71.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$12.15

$3.91 A$5.63

116.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 A$3.02

$3.04 A$4.38

-30.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 A$111

$150 A$216

-48.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.38 A$4.86

15.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 A$3.42

$1.56 A$2.24

51.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.6 A$75.6

$40.01 A$57.6

31.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.40 A$2.01

-7.14%

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

$28.0K A$40.4K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-3.69%

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

$34.0K A$48.9K

$30.1K A$43.4K

12.84%

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

$379 A$546

$223 A$320

70.31%

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

$35.76 A$51.5

$27.16 A$39.08

31.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 A$97.2

$55.8 A$80.3

21.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.6

$74.6 A$107

-25.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 A$28.40

$23.99 A$34.52

-17.72%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 A$21.96

$17.56 A$25.27

-13.10%

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

$2,105 A$3,029

$2,196 A$3,160

-4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$30.4K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-24.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 A$132

$78.4 A$113

17.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 A$101

$68.4 A$98.5

2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 A$234

$111 A$160

46.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$134 A$193

-3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 A$1,892

$2,500 A$3,598

-47.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 A$1,694

$1,709 A$2,460

-31.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 A$3,551

$4,946 A$7,117

-50.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 A$2,995

$3,022 A$4,349

-31.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,850 A$6,979

$13.2K A$18.9K

-63.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,960 A$5,699

$8,370 A$12.0K

-52.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,115 A$5,921

$4,113 A$5,919

0.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.84

-5.14%

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

Last update for Townsville: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Townsville

$1.2K 43%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 45.2% $532

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Townsville

$482 17.6%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 36.7% $177

Groceries & Markets

Townsville

$370 13.5%

Sydney

$379 12% 2.4% $8.7

Eating Out

Townsville

$320 11.7%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 6.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Townsville

$204 7.5%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 13.6% $28

Getting Around

Townsville

$101 3.7%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 71.5% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Townsville

$86 3.1%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 27.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,315 in Townsville versus $2,500 in Sydney. 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 0% higher in Townsville, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Townsville versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $379 – making Townsville the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Townsville

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

01:53 1:53 AM

02:53 2:53 AM

1 h ahead of Townsville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,724

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Townsville Sydney 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Townsville
Sydney

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

Townsville vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,740 in Townsville, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 15% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,110 per month in Townsville and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Townsville, 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 $68.0 in Townsville and $91.0 in Sydney. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,740 in Townsville and $3,152 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 15%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Townsville, where all-in costs run around $2,740, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Townsville it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Townsville – 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 Townsville. 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.