🇦🇺 Australia · #37 of 558 cities · 2026

Cost of Living in Sydney

3.8% above the Australia average

Ranked #37 of 558 cities · More expensive than 93.4% of cities worldwide

Compared to Australia average

Rent Prices

Rent Prices in Sydney

Apartment City Centre Outside Centre You Save
1-Bedroom AUD 3,695/mo ≈ $2,656 AUD 2,372/mo ≈ $1,705 36%
3-Bedroom AUD 6,898/mo ≈ $4,958 AUD 4,057/mo ≈ $2,916 36%
Numbeo · 2026-03-12

Prices

Prices of Goods & Services in Sydney

🛒

Groceries

Apples (1kg)
AUD 5.02
Beer (0.5L, supermarket)
AUD 6.37
Bread (500g)
AUD 3.05
Local cheese (1kg)
AUD 20.27
Chicken (1kg)
AUD 13.86
Cigarettes (Marlboro)
AUD 46.50
Eggs (12)
AUD 9.06
Milk (1L)
AUD 2.42
Potatoes (1kg)
AUD 4.00
Tomatoes (1kg)
AUD 6.40
Water (1.5L)
AUD 1.75
Wine (mid-range)
AUD 24.00
🍽️

Restaurants

Draft beer (0.5L)
AUD 10.50
Cappuccino
AUD 5.50
McMeal
AUD 16.00
Cheap meal
AUD 25.50
Mid-range dinner (2 people)
AUD 181.14
👗

Clothing & Shoes

Business shoes (leather)
AUD 187.78
Jeans (Levi's 501)
AUD 116.46
Sport shoes (Nike)
AUD 160.50
Summer dress (Zara/H&M)
AUD 85.05
🏋️

Leisure

Cinema ticket
AUD 25.25
Gym membership
AUD 94.81
🚌

Transportation

Gasoline (1L)
AUD 1.93
Taxi start
AUD 5.40
Monthly pass
AUD 192.70

Utilities

Basic utilities (85m²)
AUD 278.34

Prices in local currency, cross-referenced from multiple independent sources. August 2026.

Multi-Source Comparison

★★★ High Confidence

Sydney has a composite cost index of 68.2 from 4 independent data sources.

68.2
Composite
4
Sources
4.1
Spread

Source Values (NYC = 100)

Numbeo
69.6
Expatistan
65.5
LivingCost
75.0
SIM
63.8
Eurostat Validation (EU27 = 100) Gov. Data
Eurostat
126.5

Based on 110 country PLI x 1.15 city factor

View all 127 cities | Data last updated: 2026-03-18

Cost Indices

Cost of Living
+3.8% Average
Rent
+14.4% Expensive
Groceries
+1.3% Average
Restaurants
-3.2% Average
Purchasing Power
-16.6% Weak

Living in Sydney: What to Expect

Sydney is average by global standards (ranked #37 of 558 cities). It is 3.8% more expensive than the Australia average, based on 8 cities.

Groceries are average, while dining out is average. Restaurants offers the best value, while Rent is the priciest.

Local purchasing power is limited — residents can afford fewer goods and services than in most cities.

Workers in Australia earning AUD 80,928 gross take home AUD 5,376/month after tax (20.3% effective rate). See full Australia tax calculator →

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