Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Melbourne 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Melbourne is 11.0% lower than in Sydney (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Melbourne is 17.3% lower than in Sydney | |
| Rent Prices in Melbourne are 28.9% lower than in Sydney | |
| Restaurant Prices in Melbourne are 1.0% lower than in Sydney | |
| Groceries Prices in Melbourne are 4.7% lower than in Sydney | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Melbourne is 16.1% higher than in Sydney | |
Restaurants | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 A$ | 25.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 120.00 A$ | 115.00 A$ | -4.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 A$ | 15.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 10.20 A$ | 11.00 A$ | +7.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 A$ | 10.00 A$ | -16.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.14 A$ | 5.39 A$ | +4.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.85 A$ | 3.99 A$ | +3.6 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.09 A$ | 3.47 A$ | +12.6 % |
Markets | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 10.30 A$ | 8.30 A$ | -19.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.80 A$ | 3.48 A$ | -8.3 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.59 A$ | 1.59 A$ | +0.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 6.78 A$ | 6.64 A$ | -2.0 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 7.64 A$ | 6.26 A$ | -18.1 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.00 A$ | 6.23 A$ | +3.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 10.19 A$ | 9.51 A$ | -6.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.20 A$ | 2.18 A$ | -1.1 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.94 A$ | 1.94 A$ | +0.2 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.12 A$ | 1.84 A$ | -13.2 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.97 A$ | 2.56 A$ | -13.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.69 A$ | 1.66 A$ | -1.8 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.60 A$ | 1.49 A$ | -7.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.40 A$ | 3.20 A$ | -5.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.21 A$ | 2.16 A$ | -2.4 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 20.00 A$ | 20.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 7.65 A$ | 7.26 A$ | -5.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.71 A$ | 7.94 A$ | -8.9 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 50.00 A$ | 50.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
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$ | 185.00 A$ | -14.9 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 7.50 A$ | 5.50 A$ | -26.7 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 8.05 A$ | 3.55 A$ | -55.9 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 80.00 A$ | 40.56 A$ | -49.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.54 A$ | 7.00 A$ | -7.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 44,423.00 A$ | 42,145.00 A$ | -5.1 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 34,103.55 A$ | 35,042.76 A$ | +2.8 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 300.60 A$ | 225.36 A$ | -25.0 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 41.65 A$ | 35.57 A$ | -14.6 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 78.83 A$ | 79.16 A$ | +0.4 % |
Sports And Leisure | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 93.89 A$ | 78.85 A$ | -16.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 30.19 A$ | 23.59 A$ | -21.9 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 24.00 A$ | 23.50 A$ | -2.1 % |
Childcare | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 3,007.81 A$ | 2,626.88 A$ | -12.7 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 29,711.72 A$ | 31,549.67 A$ | +6.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 114.06 A$ | 116.86 A$ | +2.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 85.08 A$ | 76.83 A$ | -9.7 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 167.50 A$ | 161.42 A$ | -3.6 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 195.53 A$ | 169.44 A$ | -13.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 3,302.81 A$ | 2,290.83 A$ | -30.6 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,246.18 A$ | 1,867.89 A$ | -16.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 6,246.42 A$ | 4,320.15 A$ | -30.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,933.28 A$ | 2,701.21 A$ | -31.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 2,027.46 A$ | 1,007.11 A$ | -50.3 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,249.50 A$ | 778.40 A$ | -37.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Sydney Edit |
Melbourne Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,681.10 A$ | 6,410.78 A$ | -4.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.41 | 6.32 | -1.4 % |
| Last update: | November 2024 | November 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 406 | 442 |
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 |