Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Melbourne 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Melbourne is 7.9% lower than in Sydney (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Melbourne is 17.0% lower than in Sydney | |
| Rent Prices in Melbourne are 31.1% lower than in Sydney | |
| Restaurant Prices in Melbourne are 0.5% higher than in Sydney | |
| Groceries Prices in Melbourne are 8.5% lower than in Sydney | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Melbourne is 23.4% higher than in Sydney | |
Restaurants | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 24.22 A$ | 25.00 A$ | +3.2 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 120.00 A$ | 120.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 A$ | 15.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 10.32 A$ | 10.00 A$ | -3.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 A$ | 10.00 A$ | -16.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.04 A$ | 5.16 A$ | +2.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.81 A$ | 3.97 A$ | +4.1 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.19 A$ | 3.57 A$ | +12.1 % |
Markets | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.99 A$ | 8.00 A$ | -10.9 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.78 A$ | 3.52 A$ | -6.9 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.57 A$ | 1.50 A$ | -4.2 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.11 A$ | 5.72 A$ | -6.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.64 A$ | 6.59 A$ | -13.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.77 A$ | 5.93 A$ | +2.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.64 A$ | 8.70 A$ | -9.8 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.20 A$ | 2.02 A$ | -8.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.92 A$ | 1.73 A$ | -9.9 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.09 A$ | 1.75 A$ | -16.3 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.92 A$ | 2.51 A$ | -13.9 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.66 A$ | 1.51 A$ | -8.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.55 A$ | 1.46 A$ | -5.5 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.37 A$ | 3.27 A$ | -2.9 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.17 A$ | 2.15 A$ | -1.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 20.00 A$ | 18.00 A$ | -10.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.94 A$ | 7.02 A$ | +1.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.99 A$ | 8.36 A$ | +4.6 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 50.00 A$ | 45.00 A$ | -10.0 % |
Transportation | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 5.00 A$ | 5.30 A$ | +6.0 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 217.39 A$ | 185.40 A$ | -14.7 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 7.00 A$ | 5.50 A$ | -21.4 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 8.05 A$ | 4.83 A$ | -40.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 85.00 A$ | 44.74 A$ | -47.4 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.69 A$ | 7.27 A$ | -5.4 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 44,423.00 A$ | 42,000.00 A$ | -5.5 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 34,735.68 A$ | 34,042.76 A$ | -2.0 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 301.80 A$ | 237.38 A$ | -21.3 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 38.67 A$ | 39.97 A$ | +3.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 77.63 A$ | 79.50 A$ | +2.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 87.57 A$ | 82.32 A$ | -6.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 29.59 A$ | 22.00 A$ | -25.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 24.00 A$ | 22.00 A$ | -8.3 % |
Childcare | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,086.00 A$ | 2,501.72 A$ | -18.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 26,575.74 A$ | 28,987.50 A$ | +9.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 110.93 A$ | 119.82 A$ | +8.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 90.01 A$ | 78.88 A$ | -12.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 162.92 A$ | 158.83 A$ | -2.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 192.09 A$ | 171.31 A$ | -10.8 % |
Rent Per Month | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,271.95 A$ | 2,244.91 A$ | -31.4 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,281.44 A$ | 1,793.36 A$ | -21.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 6,450.94 A$ | 4,121.05 A$ | -36.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,697.48 A$ | 2,666.65 A$ | -27.9 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,121.70 A$ | 993.27 A$ | -53.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,331.60 A$ | 796.23 A$ | -40.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,186.17 A$ | 6,340.74 A$ | +2.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.35 | 6.34 | -0.2 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | June 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 397 | 409 |
Moving to Sydney? Explore:
Moving to Melbourne? Explore:
Cities near Sydney: | Cost of Living in Gosford | 46.31 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wollongong | 51.90 miles |
| Cost of Living in Canberra | 178.59 miles |
| Cost of Living in Forster | 188.67 miles |
Cities near Melbourne: | Cost of Living in Ballarat | 71.73 miles |
| Cost of Living in Wangaratta | 149.91 miles |
| Cost of Living in Albury | 195.47 miles |