How Much Does It Cost to Live In Sydney?
When people speak about moving to Australia, it is often referred to moving to Sydney, as the most prosperous city there.
However, the high cost of living in Sydney can make people change their mind and settle in some less expensive city.
Once you get acquainted with the cost of basic daily expenses like groceries, utilities and the rent in Sydney, it would be enough to change anyone’s mind.
The first thing you need to know is that Sydney is at around 10 place on the list of the most expensive cities in the world.
Australia : Cost of Living by City
Cost of Living in Australia
RESTAURANTS
Restaurant lovers will be able to afford eating out only if they have the salary which is over the average.
For those with lower budgets, inexpensive restaurants are affordable sometimes.
Alcohol is pretty expensive there and beer is almost $6 per bottle.
MARKETS
The food usually takes much of your monthly budget and if you have a small family and buy the basics, the average monthly salary would be enough for everything.
In case you have a larger family, then you should think about doing your shopping in the cheaper stores or at the market.
Local markets offer fresh products and they are definitely much cheaper than in the supermarkets.
TRANSPORTATION
Commuting with own car can be said to be cheaper compared to some European countries, due to the lower prices of gasoline.
However, public transportation can be more expensive and take you quite an amount of money.
It is always advisable to buy monthly pass, rather than buying daily tickets.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
Besides paying the rent, you will need to have money for the household bills which are not inexpensive.
When you include electricity, heating, cooling, the Internet and water the price reaches $200 per month.
Still, the amount you will need to spend on the utilities depends on how many members there are in your family.
SPORTS & LEISURE
The prices of all the above mentioned spheres of life are higher than in the rest of Australia, as well as in the majority cities over the globe.
The same situation is with sports and leisure.
If you want to exercise in a fitness club, you will have to pay the fee of more than $50.
CLOTHING & SHOES
Clothes are generally more expensive in Australia than in some other counties, and designer clothes cannot be found at low prices in Sydney.
Clothing items and shoes are more expensive in Sydney than Melbourne or Canberra, but Australians do not waste money on that.
RENT PER MONTH
The big monthly payment is definitely the rent.
As in any other city, the further out from the city your apartment is, the cheaper the price is, too.
Rents can range from $1350 per month in the suburbs of Sydney to over $1900 in those more prosperous areas of the city.
Cost of Living Averages Table for Sydney
*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $13.23 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $5.70 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $1.86 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $1.15 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $1.94 |
| Eggs (12) | $2.83 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $2.85 |
| Monthly Pass | $154.83 |
| Gasoline | $1.09 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $133.26 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $0.44 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $49.40 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $51.32 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $16.88 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $14.24 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $73.60 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $47.47 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $95.47 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $1880.12 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $1341.57 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $3357.08 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Sydney?
Of all the costs of daily life, the rent will make the hugest hole in your budget, as more than 40% of monthly salary goes for it.
Another important necessity that has to be paid during the month is food, and groceries can take up to 26%.
If you are not fond of preparing your own food, you can be among those Australians who frequently visit restaurants and spend 10% of their monthly wage there.
The least amount of money is spent on sports, entertainment and clothing, and it is not strange, due to the very high prices of all the other services.
Average Costs Breakdown
Sydney: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Sydney is quite an expensive city and everybody cannot afford living there.
There is a huge difference between the average monthly net salary and the minimum wage, and those who earn the minimum are not able to pay for extra leisure activities such as fitness clubs and cinemas.
However, those who earn the average will have a decent budget for a normal lifestyle.
All in all, each person’s perception of a decent life is different and how much money you will need depends on many things, starting from the quality and quantity of food you buy to the size of your apartment.
Sydney Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Sydney Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: LOW
- TERRORISM RISK: LOW
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Cost of Living by City in Sydney
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | 72.92 |
| Brisbane | 70.46 |
| Canberra | 69.88 |
| Darwin | 72.47 |
| Gold Coast | 64.53 |
| Hobart | 69.1 |
| Melbourne | 74.53 |
| Newcastle | 71.42 |
| Perth | 75.09 |
This is so innacurate its funny.
Sydney is a complete rip off.
Rent is twice what you list here.
The city is run down, over populated and unfriendly.
Public transport is terrible.
Go somewhere nice like Cairns.