Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sydney 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Sydney is 8.2% higher than in Melbourne (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Sydney is 16.9% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Rent Prices in Sydney are 33.3% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Restaurant Prices in Sydney are 2.6% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Groceries Prices in Sydney are 8.5% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Sydney is 11.6% lower than in Melbourne | |
Restaurants | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 A$ | 23.00 A$ | -8.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 105.00 A$ | 120.00 A$ | +14.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 A$ | 15.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 10.00 A$ | 10.32 A$ | +3.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 10.00 A$ | 12.00 A$ | +20.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.10 A$ | 5.00 A$ | -2.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.88 A$ | 3.84 A$ | -1.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.47 A$ | 3.13 A$ | -9.7 % |
Markets | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.24 A$ | 8.48 A$ | +3.0 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.60 A$ | 3.78 A$ | +5.1 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.55 A$ | 1.57 A$ | +1.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.73 A$ | 6.08 A$ | +6.1 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.74 A$ | 7.64 A$ | +13.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.92 A$ | 5.77 A$ | -2.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.70 A$ | 9.57 A$ | +10.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.05 A$ | 2.19 A$ | +6.8 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.71 A$ | 1.88 A$ | +9.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.79 A$ | 2.09 A$ | +17.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.42 A$ | 2.89 A$ | +19.6 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.52 A$ | 1.64 A$ | +8.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.49 A$ | 1.53 A$ | +2.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.21 A$ | 3.35 A$ | +4.6 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.11 A$ | 2.14 A$ | +1.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 18.25 A$ | 20.00 A$ | +9.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 7.13 A$ | 6.94 A$ | -2.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.16 A$ | 7.99 A$ | -2.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 45.00 A$ | 50.00 A$ | +11.1 % |
Transportation | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 5.30 A$ | 5.00 A$ | -5.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 190.80 A$ | 217.39 A$ | +13.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.50 A$ | 7.00 A$ | +27.3 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 A$ | 7.24 A$ | +50.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 44.74 A$ | 85.00 A$ | +90.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.30 A$ | 7.74 A$ | +6.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 40,500.00 A$ | 43,711.50 A$ | +7.9 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 32,701.29 A$ | 33,924.26 A$ | +3.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 248.12 A$ | 292.57 A$ | +17.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 40.31 A$ | 39.49 A$ | -2.0 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 80.00 A$ | 77.57 A$ | -3.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 79.73 A$ | 86.65 A$ | +8.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 23.62 A$ | 29.59 A$ | +25.3 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 22.00 A$ | 24.00 A$ | +9.1 % |
Childcare | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,321.59 A$ | 3,086.00 A$ | +32.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 28,987.50 A$ | 24,620.39 A$ | -15.1 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 119.82 A$ | 109.76 A$ | -8.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 78.89 A$ | 90.01 A$ | +14.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 158.88 A$ | 162.63 A$ | +2.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 171.31 A$ | 189.50 A$ | +10.6 % |
Rent Per Month | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,420.32 A$ | 3,286.73 A$ | +35.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,927.93 A$ | 2,266.15 A$ | +17.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,652.86 A$ | 6,511.19 A$ | +39.9 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,832.04 A$ | 3,706.93 A$ | +30.9 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,262.07 A$ | 2,121.70 A$ | +68.1 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 904.60 A$ | 1,331.60 A$ | +47.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,103.53 A$ | 6,311.23 A$ | +3.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.54 | 6.29 | -3.7 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 426 | 403 |
Moving to Melbourne? Explore:
Moving to Sydney? Explore:
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 |
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 |