Sydney vs Melbourne Cost of Living
Sydney (Australia) · Overall index 73.6 — Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3
Summary
- Overall, Melbourne is 11% cheaper than Sydney.
- Rent in Melbourne is 26% cheaper than in Sydney.
- Transport in Melbourne is 11% cheaper than in Sydney.
| Item | Sydney | Melbourne | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -26% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,565 | $2,062 | -20% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,647 | $1,117 | -32% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,117 | $3,536 | -31% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,039 | $2,437 | -20% |
| Groceries | -8% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.21 | $0.97 | -20% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.39 | $3.2 | -6% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.94 | $3.75 | -5% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.39 | $3.69 | -16% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $11.4 | $10.3 | -10% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.4 | $10.3 | -17% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $17.4 | $15.1 | -13% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.02 | $4.14 | -18% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.93 | $1.56 | -19% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.29 | $4.16 | -3% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.4 | $5.03 | -7% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.41 | $2.75 | +14% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.68 | $2.45 | -9% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.13 | $1.98 | -7% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.34 | $2.08 | -11% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $12.2 | $13.8 | +13% |
| Transport | -11% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.2 | $1.9 | -14% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $108 | $93 | -14% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.3 | $2.96 | -10% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.42 | $1.32 | -7% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.85 | $0.76 | -11% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $21,959 | $19,348 | -12% |
| Dining out | -8% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $20.9 | $17 | -19% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $92.8 | $92.3 | -1% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.43 | $9.69 | +3% |
| Cappuccino | $4.57 | $4.01 | -12% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.1 | $1.91 | -9% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.5 | $5.35 | -3% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.76 | $6.13 | -21% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.81 | $1.8 | -1% |
| Telecom | 0% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $49.8 | $47.6 | -4% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $52.8 | $60.5 | +15% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.3 | -3% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $14.2 | $13.5 | -5% |
| Utilities & household | -2% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $149 | $155 | +4% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.21 | $0.19 | -10% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.73 | $4.24 | +14% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.38 | $1.3 | -6% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $18.6 | $19.4 | +4% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $66.5 | $74.6 | +12% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $12.6 | $13.5 | +7% |
| Men's haircut | $29.2 | $24.3 | -17% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $20.8 | $18.5 | -11% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,990 | $1,717 | -14% |
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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