Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Sydney 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Sydney is 12.9% higher than in Melbourne (without rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Sydney is 21.7% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Rent Prices in Sydney are 41.4% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Restaurant Prices in Sydney are 1.2% lower than in Melbourne | |
| Groceries Prices in Sydney are 8.5% higher than in Melbourne | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Sydney is 18.7% lower than in Melbourne | |
Restaurants | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 24.50 A$ | 24.00 A$ | -2.0 % |
| 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$ | 10.45 A$ | -12.9 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 10.00 A$ | 12.00 A$ | +20.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 5.25 A$ | 5.04 A$ | -4.0 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 4.03 A$ | 3.81 A$ | -5.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 3.52 A$ | 3.16 A$ | -10.3 % |
Markets | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 8.09 A$ | 9.34 A$ | +15.5 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.60 A$ | 3.84 A$ | +6.5 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 1.50 A$ | 1.57 A$ | +4.8 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 5.95 A$ | 6.15 A$ | +3.3 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 6.36 A$ | 7.80 A$ | +22.7 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 5.94 A$ | 5.71 A$ | -3.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 9.48 A$ | 9.58 A$ | +1.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.08 A$ | 2.20 A$ | +6.0 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 1.80 A$ | 1.93 A$ | +7.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 1.73 A$ | 2.10 A$ | +21.6 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.47 A$ | 2.97 A$ | +20.0 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.50 A$ | 1.68 A$ | +12.1 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.45 A$ | 1.55 A$ | +7.2 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 3.24 A$ | 3.40 A$ | +4.8 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.15 A$ | 2.21 A$ | +2.6 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 19.25 A$ | 20.00 A$ | +3.9 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 6.90 A$ | 7.19 A$ | +4.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.05 A$ | 8.43 A$ | +4.7 % |
| 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) | 190.00 A$ | 217.39 A$ | +14.4 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 5.50 A$ | 6.90 A$ | +25.5 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 4.83 A$ | 8.05 A$ | +66.7 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 39.48 A$ | 85.00 A$ | +115.3 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 7.34 A$ | 7.75 A$ | +5.6 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 42,102.00 A$ | 44,423.00 A$ | +5.5 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 33,670.44 A$ | 35,464.71 A$ | +5.3 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 231.17 A$ | 292.17 A$ | +26.4 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 38.88 A$ | 40.72 A$ | +4.7 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 79.39 A$ | 78.64 A$ | -1.0 % |
Sports And Leisure | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 81.86 A$ | 86.78 A$ | +6.0 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 22.71 A$ | 29.63 A$ | +30.5 % |
| 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 | 2,689.41 A$ | 3,095.24 A$ | +15.1 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 29,438.56 A$ | 28,586.72 A$ | -2.9 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 119.04 A$ | 108.96 A$ | -8.5 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 77.76 A$ | 89.27 A$ | +14.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 162.68 A$ | 163.40 A$ | +0.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 173.62 A$ | 196.72 A$ | +13.3 % |
Rent Per Month | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 2,260.33 A$ | 3,303.11 A$ | +46.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,920.48 A$ | 2,255.23 A$ | +17.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 4,251.50 A$ | 6,509.47 A$ | +53.1 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,766.65 A$ | 3,772.04 A$ | +36.3 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 1,012.96 A$ | 2,147.47 A$ | +112.0 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 783.65 A$ | 1,300.63 A$ | +66.0 % |
Salaries And Financing | Melbourne Edit |
Sydney Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 6,323.06 A$ | 6,258.18 A$ | -1.0 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.33 | 6.36 | +0.5 % |
| Last update: | July 2024 | July 2024 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 428 | 394 |
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 |