Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wagga Wagga and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Wagga Wagga: $1,870 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Wagga Wagga
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Wagga Wagga Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Wagga Wagga

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,870

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,870 per month in Wagga Wagga vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Wagga Wagga $1,870
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $2,854 per month in Wagga Wagga vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Wagga Wagga $2,854
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $3,837 per month in Wagga Wagga vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Wagga Wagga $3,837
Sydney $6,268

Wagga Wagga is about 41% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Wagga Wagga and Sydney sit above the global median – Wagga Wagga by 39%, Sydney by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 A$19.70

$17.57 A$25.29

-22.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 A$127

$91.5 A$132

-3.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$15.28

$11.96 A$17.21

-11.20%

Cappuccino

$4.12 A$5.92

$4.07 A$5.85

1.23%

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

$3.15 A$4.54

$2.85 A$4.10

10.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 A$3.69

$2.25 A$3.24

14.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.70

$7.60 A$10.94

6.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.59 A$13.80

$7.43 A$10.69

29.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.66 A$2.38

-6.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.73

$2.78 A$4.00

18.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.85

$2.42 A$3.49

10.74%

Eggs

$5.17 A$7.44

$5.64 A$8.12

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 A$18.53

$11.71 A$16.85

9.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 A$14.20

$9.66 A$13.89

2.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.35 A$22.09

$16.75 A$24.10

-8.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 A$5.60

$4.07 A$5.85

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.44

$3.25 A$4.68

-5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 A$5.14

$3.44 A$4.96

3.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 A$7.35

$4.28 A$6.16

19.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.38

$3.28 A$4.72

-7.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.91

$2.30 A$3.30

18.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.58

$2.30 A$3.31

8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.92

$1.21 A$1.74

9.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.17 A$63.6

$43.71 A$62.9

1.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.86 A$19.95

$13.88 A$19.97

-0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.60

$3.90 A$5.62

17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 A$7.84

$3.91 A$5.63

39.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.17 A$4.56

$3.04 A$4.38

4.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 A$5.93

$3.38 A$4.86

21.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.35

$1.56 A$2.24

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.84 A$63.1

$40.01 A$57.6

9.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.40 A$2.01

-5.00%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-8.26%

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

$29.3K A$42.2K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-2.71%

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

$181 A$260

$223 A$320

-18.86%

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

$26.41 A$38.00

$27.16 A$39.08

-2.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 A$80.5

$55.8 A$80.3

0.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.38 A$39.40

$74.6 A$107

-63.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$15.57 A$22.40

$17.56 A$25.27

-11.33%

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

$2,183 A$3,142

$2,196 A$3,160

-0.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K A$28.7K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-29.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 A$109

$78.4 A$113

-3.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 A$81.3

$68.4 A$98.5

-17.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$151

$111 A$160

-5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$134 A$193

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 A$1,317

$2,500 A$3,598

-63.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 A$993

$1,709 A$2,460

-59.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 A$2,173

$4,946 A$7,117

-69.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,129 A$1,625

$3,022 A$4,349

-62.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,429 A$4,934

$13.2K A$18.9K

-73.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,419 A$3,480

$8,370 A$12.0K

-71.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.84

1.88%

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

Last update for Wagga Wagga: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wagga Wagga

$690 36.9%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 148% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Wagga Wagga

$394 21.1%

Sydney

$379 12% 3.9% $15

Eating Out

Wagga Wagga

$273 14.6%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 9.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wagga Wagga

$263 14.1%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 16.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Wagga Wagga

$167 8.9%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Wagga Wagga

$59 3.1%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 87.5% $51

Getting Around

Wagga Wagga

$25 * 1.3%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 595% $149

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $916 in Wagga Wagga 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Wagga Wagga versus $91.0 in Sydney. Groceries tell a different story – $394 in Wagga Wagga vs $379 in Sydney – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wagga Wagga

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

Same time as Wagga Wagga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,686

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

Wagga Wagga Sydney 380 km

From you

Wagga Wagga
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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

Wagga Wagga vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,870 in Wagga Wagga, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 69% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,805 per month in Wagga Wagga 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 Wagga Wagga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,870 in Wagga Wagga and $3,152 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 69%.

Kindergarten costs $2,183 per month in Wagga Wagga and $2,196 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Wagga Wagga, where all-in costs run around $1,870, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Wagga Wagga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Wagga Wagga – 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 Wagga Wagga. 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.