Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sydney 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Sydney are 2.7% higher than in Melbourne (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Sydney are 15.5% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Rent Prices in Sydney are 42.4% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Restaurant Prices in Sydney are 1.1% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Groceries Prices in Sydney are 2.3% lower than in Melbourne | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Sydney is 3.5% higher than in Melbourne | |
Restaurants | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 A$ | 25.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 130.00 A$ | 140.00 A$ | +7.7 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 A$ | 14.53 A$ | -3.1 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 12.00 A$ | 10.00 A$ | -16.7 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 12.00 A$ | 12.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.38 A$ | 4.93 A$ | -8.4 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.92 A$ | 3.64 A$ | -7.3 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.42 A$ | 3.34 A$ | -2.3 % |
Markets | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.72 A$ | 10.06 A$ | +15.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.23 A$ | 3.60 A$ | +11.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.63 A$ | 1.58 A$ | -3.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.70 A$ | 6.13 A$ | +7.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 8.13 A$ | 7.08 A$ | -13.0 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.21 A$ | 5.89 A$ | -5.2 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 10.75 A$ | 10.17 A$ | -5.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.30 A$ | 2.22 A$ | -3.4 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.78 A$ | 1.79 A$ | +0.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.07 A$ | 1.81 A$ | -12.5 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 3.39 A$ | 3.47 A$ | +2.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.84 A$ | 1.71 A$ | -7.3 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.68 A$ | 1.52 A$ | -9.1 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 5.26 A$ | 4.39 A$ | -16.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.80 A$ | 2.40 A$ | -14.5 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 20.00 A$ | 20.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.84 A$ | 7.44 A$ | +8.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.23 A$ | 7.52 A$ | +4.0 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 40.00 A$ | 41.00 A$ | +2.5 % |
Transportation | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 4.60 A$ | 5.00 A$ | +8.7 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 165.60 A$ | 217.39 A$ | +31.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.35 A$ | 5.00 A$ | -6.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 A$ | 4.51 A$ | -6.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 60.00 A$ | 60.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.90 A$ | 7.69 A$ | -2.7 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 35,000.00 A$ | 35,000.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 29,968.63 A$ | 30,187.96 A$ | +0.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 268.80 A$ | 263.50 A$ | -2.0 % |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans) | 0.68 A$ | 0.89 A$ | +30.8 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 83.00 A$ | 85.57 A$ | +3.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 75.69 A$ | 96.41 A$ | +27.4 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 23.45 A$ | 25.36 A$ | +8.1 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 22.00 A$ | 24.50 A$ | +11.4 % |
Childcare | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,700.94 A$ | 2,650.24 A$ | -1.9 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 31,800.00 A$ | 23,077.50 A$ | -27.4 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 129.60 A$ | 121.47 A$ | -6.3 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 87.45 A$ | 85.74 A$ | -1.9 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 173.98 A$ | 173.34 A$ | -0.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 198.85 A$ | 209.92 A$ | +5.6 % |
Rent Per Month | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,262.69 A$ | 3,149.64 A$ | +39.2 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,812.11 A$ | 2,260.00 A$ | +24.7 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,352.73 A$ | 6,595.76 A$ | +51.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,819.49 A$ | 4,006.19 A$ | +42.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,047.75 A$ | 2,107.92 A$ | +101.2 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 961.90 A$ | 1,324.40 A$ | +37.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 5,130.94 A$ | 6,131.76 A$ | +19.5 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 4.93 | 5.04 | +2.2 % |
| Last update: | June 2023 | June 2023 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 427 | 444 |
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 |