Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Melbourne 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Melbourne is 8.3% lower than in Sydney (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Melbourne is 17.2% lower than in Sydney | |
| Rent Prices in Melbourne are 30.8% lower than in Sydney | |
| Restaurant Prices in Melbourne are 4.2% lower than in Sydney | |
| Groceries Prices in Melbourne are 7.8% lower than in Sydney | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Melbourne is 20.7% higher than in Sydney | |
Restaurants | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 23.00 A$ | 25.00 A$ | +8.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 120.00 A$ | 100.00 A$ | -16.7 % |
| 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) | 5.00 A$ | 5.08 A$ | +1.6 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.84 A$ | 3.85 A$ | +0.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.13 A$ | 3.42 A$ | +9.3 % |
Markets | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.48 A$ | 8.13 A$ | -4.2 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.76 A$ | 3.55 A$ | -5.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.52 A$ | 1.52 A$ | +0.3 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.05 A$ | 5.70 A$ | -5.9 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.64 A$ | 6.51 A$ | -14.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.79 A$ | 5.88 A$ | +1.6 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.57 A$ | 8.55 A$ | -10.6 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.19 A$ | 2.05 A$ | -6.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.88 A$ | 1.71 A$ | -8.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.09 A$ | 1.79 A$ | -14.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.87 A$ | 2.42 A$ | -15.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.64 A$ | 1.52 A$ | -7.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.53 A$ | 1.49 A$ | -2.7 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.35 A$ | 3.21 A$ | -4.4 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.14 A$ | 2.11 A$ | -1.3 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 20.00 A$ | 18.25 A$ | -8.8 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.94 A$ | 7.13 A$ | +2.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.99 A$ | 8.16 A$ | +2.1 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 49.00 A$ | 45.00 A$ | -8.2 % |
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) | 7.24 A$ | 4.83 A$ | -33.3 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 85.00 A$ | 39.48 A$ | -53.6 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.74 A$ | 7.27 A$ | -6.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 43,711.50 A$ | 40,500.00 A$ | -7.3 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 33,924.26 A$ | 32,701.29 A$ | -3.6 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 292.57 A$ | 241.35 A$ | -17.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 39.00 A$ | 39.22 A$ | +0.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 77.50 A$ | 80.00 A$ | +3.2 % |
Sports And Leisure | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 87.14 A$ | 78.12 A$ | -10.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 29.98 A$ | 23.62 A$ | -21.2 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 23.00 A$ | 22.00 A$ | -4.3 % |
Childcare | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,137.89 A$ | 2,321.59 A$ | -26.0 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 24,043.75 A$ | 28,987.50 A$ | +20.6 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 109.76 A$ | 116.36 A$ | +6.0 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 90.01 A$ | 77.22 A$ | -14.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 162.63 A$ | 155.92 A$ | -4.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 189.50 A$ | 167.16 A$ | -11.8 % |
Rent Per Month | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,266.35 A$ | 2,210.59 A$ | -32.3 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,245.62 A$ | 1,793.36 A$ | -20.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 6,418.09 A$ | 4,100.00 A$ | -36.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,657.19 A$ | 2,675.35 A$ | -26.8 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,121.70 A$ | 993.73 A$ | -53.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,331.60 A$ | 796.51 A$ | -40.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,318.64 A$ | 6,314.90 A$ | -0.1 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.30 | 6.35 | +0.7 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 401 | 421 |
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 |