Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Melbourne 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Melbourne are 9.1% lower than in Sydney (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Melbourne are 18.2% lower than in Sydney | |
| Rent Prices in Melbourne are 32.4% lower than in Sydney | |
| Restaurant Prices in Melbourne are 5.6% lower than in Sydney | |
| Groceries Prices in Melbourne are 8.8% lower than in Sydney | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Melbourne is 23.5% higher than in Sydney | |
Restaurants | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 24.00 A$ | 25.00 A$ | +4.2 % |
| 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) | 10.47 A$ | 10.00 A$ | -4.5 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 A$ | 10.00 A$ | -16.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.01 A$ | 5.10 A$ | +1.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.90 A$ | 3.88 A$ | -0.6 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.13 A$ | 3.50 A$ | +11.6 % |
Markets | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.48 A$ | 8.17 A$ | -3.7 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.78 A$ | 3.57 A$ | -5.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.54 A$ | 1.52 A$ | -1.4 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.08 A$ | 5.77 A$ | -5.1 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.69 A$ | 6.49 A$ | -15.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.83 A$ | 5.92 A$ | +1.5 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.81 A$ | 8.50 A$ | -13.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.20 A$ | 2.05 A$ | -6.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.89 A$ | 1.72 A$ | -8.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.08 A$ | 1.78 A$ | -14.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.87 A$ | 2.40 A$ | -16.2 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.65 A$ | 1.51 A$ | -8.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.52 A$ | 1.47 A$ | -3.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.37 A$ | 3.21 A$ | -4.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.24 A$ | 2.11 A$ | -5.8 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 20.00 A$ | 18.50 A$ | -7.5 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.98 A$ | 7.13 A$ | +2.1 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.99 A$ | 8.16 A$ | +2.1 % |
| 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) | 218.70 A$ | 190.80 A$ | -12.8 % |
| 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) | 7.76 A$ | 7.27 A$ | -6.3 % |
| 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) | 33,728.05 A$ | 32,701.29 A$ | -3.0 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 290.93 A$ | 241.35 A$ | -17.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 39.83 A$ | 39.68 A$ | -0.4 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 78.27 A$ | 80.00 A$ | +2.2 % |
Sports And Leisure | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 88.92 A$ | 78.12 A$ | -12.1 % |
| 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) | 112.56 A$ | 117.67 A$ | +4.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 92.23 A$ | 77.21 A$ | -16.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 165.78 A$ | 155.86 A$ | -6.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 196.58 A$ | 169.12 A$ | -14.0 % |
Rent Per Month | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,265.76 A$ | 2,127.76 A$ | -34.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,255.04 A$ | 1,778.23 A$ | -21.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 6,419.81 A$ | 3,994.12 A$ | -37.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,669.89 A$ | 2,651.50 A$ | -27.7 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,054.57 A$ | 981.19 A$ | -52.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,286.34 A$ | 786.02 A$ | -38.9 % |
Salaries And Financing | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,334.90 A$ | 6,398.03 A$ | +1.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.32 | 6.34 | +0.3 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 397 | 408 |
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 |