Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sydney 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Consumer Prices in Sydney are 9.1% higher than in Melbourne (without rent) | |
| Consumer Prices Including Rent in Sydney are 17.5% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Rent Prices in Sydney are 33.1% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Restaurant Prices in Sydney are 0.1% lower than in Melbourne | |
| Groceries Prices in Sydney are 12.6% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Sydney is 15.2% 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 | 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) | 12.00 A$ | 11.00 A$ | -8.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 10.50 A$ | 12.00 A$ | +14.3 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.21 A$ | 5.07 A$ | -2.7 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 3.98 A$ | 4.03 A$ | +1.4 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.57 A$ | 3.30 A$ | -7.7 % |
Markets | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.17 A$ | 8.87 A$ | +8.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.61 A$ | 3.89 A$ | +7.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.53 A$ | 1.58 A$ | +2.9 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.77 A$ | 6.25 A$ | +8.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.74 A$ | 8.51 A$ | +26.3 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.92 A$ | 5.88 A$ | -0.7 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.64 A$ | 10.50 A$ | +21.5 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.08 A$ | 2.22 A$ | +6.9 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.74 A$ | 1.91 A$ | +9.7 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.80 A$ | 2.16 A$ | +19.8 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.45 A$ | 2.98 A$ | +21.7 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.52 A$ | 1.71 A$ | +12.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.48 A$ | 1.59 A$ | +7.0 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.24 A$ | 3.39 A$ | +4.7 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.03 A$ | 2.56 A$ | +26.1 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 17.50 A$ | 20.00 A$ | +14.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 7.36 A$ | 8.05 A$ | +9.3 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.67 A$ | 8.65 A$ | -0.3 % |
| 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) | 194.00 A$ | 220.00 A$ | +13.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 6.50 A$ | 8.00 A$ | +23.1 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 A$ | 7.24 A$ | +50.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 65.00 A$ | 90.00 A$ | +38.5 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.32 A$ | 7.78 A$ | +6.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 40,608.50 A$ | 42,500.00 A$ | +4.7 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 32,706.35 A$ | 34,138.62 A$ | +4.4 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 291.09 A$ | 332.33 A$ | +14.2 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 43.09 A$ | 40.88 A$ | -5.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 81.18 A$ | 83.06 A$ | +2.3 % |
Sports And Leisure | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 88.27 A$ | 98.58 A$ | +11.7 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 25.96 A$ | 32.82 A$ | +26.4 % |
| 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 | 2,460.05 A$ | 3,207.62 A$ | +30.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 29,600.00 A$ | 26,337.50 A$ | -11.0 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 131.46 A$ | 122.60 A$ | -6.7 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 88.23 A$ | 102.35 A$ | +16.0 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 167.36 A$ | 174.30 A$ | +4.2 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 197.57 A$ | 215.46 A$ | +9.1 % |
Rent Per Month | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,532.09 A$ | 3,381.51 A$ | +33.5 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 2,015.88 A$ | 2,366.09 A$ | +17.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,801.75 A$ | 6,794.25 A$ | +41.5 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 3,001.38 A$ | 3,897.56 A$ | +29.9 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,231.25 A$ | 2,394.13 A$ | +94.4 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 1,049.29 A$ | 1,519.17 A$ | +44.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,005.77 A$ | 5,980.84 A$ | -0.4 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.59 | 6.45 | -2.2 % |
| Last update: | April 2024 | April 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 424 | 411 |
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 |