Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sydney 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Sydney is 8.4% higher than in Melbourne (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Sydney is 18.5% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Rent Prices in Sydney are 40.9% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Restaurant Prices in Sydney are 3.1% lower than in Melbourne | |
| Groceries Prices in Sydney are 1.4% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Sydney is 11.3% lower than in Melbourne | |
Restaurants | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 26.50 A$ | 25.00 A$ | -5.7 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 120.00 A$ | 120.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 15.00 A$ | 15.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 11.75 A$ | 10.00 A$ | -14.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 11.00 A$ | 11.50 A$ | +4.5 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.48 A$ | 5.16 A$ | -5.8 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.87 A$ | 3.94 A$ | +1.8 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.51 A$ | 3.07 A$ | -12.5 % |
Markets | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.31 A$ | 9.85 A$ | +18.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.56 A$ | 3.86 A$ | +8.6 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.60 A$ | 1.75 A$ | +9.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 7.28 A$ | 7.47 A$ | +2.6 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.28 A$ | 6.94 A$ | +10.6 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 6.39 A$ | 5.83 A$ | -8.8 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 10.12 A$ | 9.54 A$ | -5.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.25 A$ | 2.32 A$ | +3.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.97 A$ | 1.94 A$ | -1.6 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.01 A$ | 2.19 A$ | +8.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.78 A$ | 3.00 A$ | +8.1 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.85 A$ | 1.72 A$ | -7.1 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.60 A$ | 1.61 A$ | +0.4 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.33 A$ | 3.40 A$ | +2.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.16 A$ | 1.93 A$ | -10.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 20.00 A$ | 22.00 A$ | +10.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.81 A$ | 7.47 A$ | +9.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 7.86 A$ | 8.60 A$ | +9.5 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 50.00 A$ | 50.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
Transportation | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 5.50 A$ | 5.00 A$ | -9.1 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 183.75 A$ | 217.39 A$ | +18.3 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 6.35 A$ | 7.00 A$ | +10.2 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 3.55 A$ | 7.64 A$ | +115.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 41.64 A$ | 80.00 A$ | +92.1 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 6.93 A$ | 7.17 A$ | +3.5 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 44,423.00 A$ | 44,423.00 A$ | 0.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 35,337.35 A$ | 34,283.85 A$ | -3.0 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 237.22 A$ | 309.47 A$ | +30.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 33.58 A$ | 40.37 A$ | +20.2 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 78.95 A$ | 79.61 A$ | +0.8 % |
Sports And Leisure | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 77.44 A$ | 88.95 A$ | +14.9 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 23.44 A$ | 32.27 A$ | +37.7 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 25.00 A$ | 24.00 A$ | -4.0 % |
Childcare | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,690.52 A$ | 3,197.33 A$ | +18.8 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 29,755.88 A$ | 27,325.96 A$ | -8.2 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 108.55 A$ | 117.13 A$ | +7.9 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 84.41 A$ | 88.91 A$ | +5.3 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 165.74 A$ | 160.80 A$ | -3.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 165.74 A$ | 198.42 A$ | +19.7 % |
Rent Per Month | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,415.50 A$ | 3,327.50 A$ | +37.8 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,854.76 A$ | 2,280.51 A$ | +23.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,664.15 A$ | 6,785.49 A$ | +45.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,754.41 A$ | 4,079.83 A$ | +48.1 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,001.61 A$ | 1,952.19 A$ | +94.9 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 808.02 A$ | 1,137.29 A$ | +40.7 % |
Salaries And Financing | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,268.44 A$ | 6,583.61 A$ | +5.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.24 | 6.35 | +1.8 % |
| Last update: | 22 May 2025 | 24 May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 379 | 321 |
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 |