Melbourne vs Sydney Cost of Living
Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3 — Sydney (Australia) · Overall index 73.6
Summary
- Overall, Sydney is 13% more expensive than Melbourne.
- Rent in Sydney is 34% more expensive than in Melbourne.
- Transport in Sydney is 13% more expensive than in Melbourne.
| Item | Melbourne | Sydney | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +34% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,062 | $2,565 | +24% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,117 | $1,647 | +47% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,536 | $5,117 | +45% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,437 | $3,039 | +25% |
| Groceries | +9% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $1.21 | +25% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.2 | $3.39 | +6% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.75 | $3.94 | +5% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.69 | $4.39 | +19% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $10.3 | $11.4 | +11% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $10.3 | $12.4 | +20% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.1 | $17.4 | +15% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.14 | $5.02 | +21% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.56 | $1.93 | +24% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.16 | $4.29 | +3% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.03 | $5.4 | +7% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.75 | $2.41 | -12% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.45 | $2.68 | +9% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.98 | $2.13 | +8% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.08 | $2.34 | +12% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.8 | $12.2 | -12% |
| Transport | +13% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.9 | $2.2 | +16% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $93 | $108 | +16% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.96 | $3.3 | +11% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.32 | $1.42 | +8% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.76 | $0.85 | +12% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $19,348 | $21,959 | +13% |
| Dining out | +9% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17 | $20.9 | +23% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $92.3 | $92.8 | +1% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.69 | $9.43 | -3% |
| Cappuccino | $4.01 | $4.57 | +14% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.91 | $2.1 | +10% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.35 | $5.5 | +3% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.13 | $7.76 | +27% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.8 | $1.81 | +1% |
| Telecom | 0% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $47.6 | $49.8 | +5% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $60.5 | $52.8 | -13% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.3 | $0.31 | +3% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.5 | $14.2 | +5% |
| Utilities & household | +2% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $155 | $149 | -4% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.21 | +11% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.24 | $3.73 | -12% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.3 | $1.38 | +6% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $19.4 | $18.6 | -4% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $74.6 | $66.5 | -11% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.5 | $12.6 | -7% |
| Men's haircut | $24.3 | $29.2 | +20% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $18.5 | $20.8 | +12% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,717 | $1,990 | +16% |
3,695 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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