Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sydney 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Sydney are 12.5% higher than in Melbourne (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Sydney are 20.1% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Rent Prices in Sydney are 34.3% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Restaurant Prices in Sydney are 7.5% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Groceries Prices in Sydney are 13.2% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Sydney is 17.9% lower 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 | 110.00 A$ | 130.00 A$ | +18.2 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 A$ | 15.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 10.00 A$ | 11.00 A$ | +10.0 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 10.00 A$ | 12.00 A$ | +20.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.17 A$ | 5.06 A$ | -2.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.94 A$ | 3.99 A$ | +1.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.54 A$ | 3.25 A$ | -8.2 % |
Markets | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.08 A$ | 8.92 A$ | +10.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.54 A$ | 3.93 A$ | +10.8 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.49 A$ | 1.61 A$ | +7.5 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.71 A$ | 6.21 A$ | +8.7 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.49 A$ | 8.54 A$ | +31.5 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.87 A$ | 5.96 A$ | +1.6 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.50 A$ | 10.23 A$ | +20.4 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.05 A$ | 2.23 A$ | +8.5 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.72 A$ | 1.92 A$ | +11.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.78 A$ | 2.14 A$ | +20.0 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.40 A$ | 2.97 A$ | +23.4 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.51 A$ | 1.71 A$ | +13.2 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.47 A$ | 1.58 A$ | +7.3 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.18 A$ | 3.46 A$ | +8.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.06 A$ | 2.47 A$ | +20.0 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 18.25 A$ | 20.00 A$ | +9.6 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 7.24 A$ | 7.21 A$ | -0.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.50 A$ | 8.57 A$ | +0.8 % |
| 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$ | 220.00 A$ | +15.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.50 A$ | 8.00 A$ | +45.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 A$ | 7.24 A$ | +50.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 39.48 A$ | 90.00 A$ | +128.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.27 A$ | 7.77 A$ | +6.9 % |
| 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$ | 33,662.43 A$ | +2.9 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 266.76 A$ | 324.54 A$ | +21.7 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 41.82 A$ | 41.77 A$ | -0.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 81.25 A$ | 80.19 A$ | -1.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 81.59 A$ | 95.34 A$ | +16.8 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 24.14 A$ | 32.54 A$ | +34.8 % |
| 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$ | 3,171.43 A$ | +36.6 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 28,987.50 A$ | 25,662.50 A$ | -11.5 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 123.73 A$ | 120.66 A$ | -2.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 81.68 A$ | 101.30 A$ | +24.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 161.94 A$ | 175.58 A$ | +8.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 180.52 A$ | 211.65 A$ | +17.2 % |
Rent Per Month | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,461.59 A$ | 3,340.95 A$ | +35.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,953.04 A$ | 2,346.73 A$ | +20.2 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,690.00 A$ | 6,580.79 A$ | +40.3 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,908.55 A$ | 3,867.23 A$ | +33.0 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,219.96 A$ | 2,326.76 A$ | +90.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 993.07 A$ | 1,471.99 A$ | +48.2 % |
Salaries And Financing | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,200.82 A$ | 6,111.80 A$ | -1.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.58 | 6.42 | -2.5 % |
| Last update: | May 2024 | May 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 416 | 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 |