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Are you thinking of moving down under and need to know the cost of living in Sydney, Australia?
This post is going to give you a great snapshot of the overall cost of living in this stunning place.
We’ll discuss the big-ticket items like housing costs all the way down to what it would cost to go for a fun night out.
If you know the cost of living in Sydney per month, you can budget accordingly and take tons of energy and stress off your plate.
Let’s get started!
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Cost of Living in Sydney [2022]
The cost of living in Sydney, Australia, per month for a single person, without rent, is $947 USD or $1495 AUD.
For a quick rundown of average costs, while living in Sydney, you can refer to the table below. I’ll go into more detail about each later on in the post, as well as breaking it down by different family situations, so stay tuned and read on!
| Items Needed for Daily Living | Average Expense |
| Rent (based on 1-bedroom apartment) | $2,617/month |
| Electricity (or gas) | $193/month |
| Phone and internet | $75/month |
| Groceries | $590/month |
| Public Transit | $17/month |
| Fuel | $2.14/litre |
Housing Costs
Being that Sydney is such a large metropolitan area, whether you choose to rent or buy, your housing costs will vary significantly by the area you choose.
For the most part, being inner city or downtown is going to cost you more in either scenario. Also, the further south and west you go of the city, the further the price drops.
Rent
If you are a student, you know your move is only semi-permanent, or you are trying to stick to a tight budget from month to month, renting may be the best option for you! Let’s discuss the average rent in Sydney, Australia.
There are beautiful places you can stay within this city, and you can even find ones with up to three or four bedrooms, suitable enough to relocate your entire family!
How much does it cost to live in an apartment in Sydney?
| Apartment Type | Average Cost of Rent Per Month |
| 1-bedroom within city limits | $2,617 |
| 1-bedroom outside city limits | $1,884 |
| 3-bedroom within city limits | $4,900 |
| 3-bedroom outside city limits | $3,158 |
So, as you can see, you’ll save about $1,000 per month by extending your search beyond the boundaries of inner-city Sydney.
Buying a House
If you are looking to make your move more permanent, or you have a larger family, buying may be the best route for you.
On average, homes in Sydney, Australia, sell for $1,177,700. You can borrow up to 80% of this in the form of a loan, but you will then need to have mortgage insurance.
Utilities
In Sydney, you’ll need to pay separately from your rent or mortgage to fund your utilities. This is what will make your day-to-day life comfortable.
| Utility | Average Cost Per Month |
| Electricity | $193 |
| Gas | $75 |
| Water | $82 |
Home Insurance Costs
Whether you rent or buy, you’ll need insurance to protect the property you are living in and on.
For homeowners, you’ll need homeowner’s insurance which runs about $143 on average per month. This can vary greatly depending on the type of property you purchased, though, so make sure you do your homework as you are figuring out your living expenses in Sydney!
Tenant’s Insurance
Tenant’s Insurance is going to cost quite a bit less at an average of $39 per month.
Housing Costs: Full Breakdown at a Glance
| Housing Costs in Sydney | Average Cost Per Month |
| Rent for 1-bedroom apartment in city | $2617 |
| Rent for 3-bedroom apartment in city | $4900 |
| Rent for 1-bedroom apartment outside city | $1884 |
| Rent for 3-bedroom apartment outside city | $3158 |
| Buying a house | $1,177,700 |
| Utilities (electric, gas, & water) | $350 |
| Tenant’s (or renter’s) insurance | $39 |
| Homeowner’s Insurance | $143 |
Food Costs
Grocery staples are a bit more on the expensive side in Sydney than they are in other places, so this is something you will want to factor into your monthly expenses as you plan for your new life in Sydney, Australia.
All prices in this chart are based on the local store, Woolworths, as of October 2022.
| Grocery Item | Average Cost (October 2022) |
| Milk | $1.50/L |
| Bread (white loaf) | $4.40/100g |
| Rice | $1.40/1kg |
| Eggs | $4.90/dozen |
| Apples | $0.78/each |
| Bananas | $0.63/each |
| Oranges | $1.23/each |
| Tomatoes | $0.87/each |
| Potatoes | $0.81/each |
| Lettuce | $2.50/1 head |
| Onions | $0.59/each |
| Water | $9.75/24 bottles |
Entertainment Costs
Now that we’ve taken care of all the daily must-haves, let’s move on to the fun stuff!
In this portion of the post, we’ll chat about everything entertainment- dining out, clubbing, movies, and sports.
Dining Out
Dining out is something that will probably be most interesting for a couple, but it is an experience everyone will want to have at some point while living in Sydney, Australia.
If you head to an inexpensive restaurant, it will cost you around $20 per entree.
For a mid-range restaurant, you’ll be looking at $25-35.
For an upper mid-range restaurant, you may spend between $35 and $45.
Clubbing
A night out here can set you back around $55, so while it probably isn’t a daily occurrence, it can certainly be planned for as you continue to do all your research about the average cost of living in Sydney.
Movies
The average cost of a movie ticket in Sydney is quite high at $22.
Sports Games
Believe it or not, it may actually be more cost effective for you to go see a game than a movie! With ticket prices hovering around $15 for children and $20 for adults, it would be a fun night out for the whole family.
Transportation
Getting around in Australia is fairly easy, either by car or by public transportation. The mode you choose to use will depend on where you end up living and what you want to spend on a monthly basis.
Looking to get around via car? Find the cheapest car rentals here!
Public Transportation
The train, bus, ferry, and light rail all have set default fares, making it easy to calculate how much you’ll be spending on transportation.
| Type of Transit | Default Fare |
| Train | $8.69 |
| Bus | $4.71 |
| Ferry | $7.51 |
| Light Rail | $3.66 |
Gas
Gas costs around $1.78 per litre as of October, 2022.
Car Insurance
Car insurance will cost you about $120.00 per month.
Taxis/Ubers
Surprisingly, in Sydney, hailing an Uber will cost you a bit less than a regular taxi. The base fare for an uber will run you $2.50, whereas the base fare for a cab is over a dollar more at $3.60.
Healthcare Costs
Australia has a free public health system called Medicare that provides essential hospital treatment, doctor’s appointments, and medicine. As you are looking into this program, be sure not to get it confused with America’s medicare program, which is very different.
If you opt to also include private medical coverage as you figure out the cost of living in Sydney, Australia, that will cost around $157 per month on average.
👉 “Free healthcare” isn’t 100% free. Use Safety Wing travel insurance to protect yourself until you get insurance through your employer.
Education
If you are coming to Sydney as a student to study, you’ll want to have a rundown of how much tuition for school and books will cost.
Tuition
If you are not from Australia originally, even a bachelor’s degree will cost quite a bit of money.
Depending on the type of university you choose and what you choose to study, you’ll spend around $20,000 to $45,000 per year, which breaks down to somewhere between $1,666 and $3,750 per month.
Books
When you are completing your studies, books will need to be factored into the cost of doing so as well. They will usually run between $400 and $600 per semester, which breaks down to between $100 and $200 per month.
Fitness
As you continue to figure out the cost of living in Sydney, Australia, staying fit may be on your mind. The average gym membership will cost you around $83 per month.
Phone + Internet Costs
In 2022, having access to phone and internet is non-negotiable and must be factored into your living expenses in Sydney. This will cost you around $75 per month.
Taxes
According to superguide.au.com, these are the income brackets that will help you figure out your income taxes in Sydney, Australia:
| Income | Percentage of Income Taxes Paid |
| $0 – $18,200 | 0% |
| $18,201- $45,000 | 19% |
| $45,001 – $120,000 | 32.5% |
| $120,001 – $180,000 | 37% |
| $180,000+ | 45% |
You can use this information to figure out how much you’ll need to set aside in your monthly budget to have enough to cover your taxes at the end of the year.
Alcohol
A drink on your night out at a bar or club will run you somewhere between $8 and $20 on average.
You’ll need to figure out how many nights out a month you’d like to have in order to budget for this as you figure out your own personal cost of living in Sydney, Australia.
Coffee
Currently, your morning coffee will cost you around $4, but some experts are predicting these prices to skyrocket as high as $7 by the end of 2022.
Childcare
Childcare is extremely expensive in Sydney and, on average, costs $95 per day, which equates to $2,945 per month. With this high cost, it is something you’ll certainly want to take into consideration if you have young children and are planning to relocate to Sydney.
Average Salary in Sydney, Australia
The average net salary in Sydney is around $78,000.
I recommend this platform to find jobs as a foreigner.
What salary do you need to live in Sydney?
To live comfortably in Sydney, you’ll need to make between A$5,000 and A$6,000 or about A$95,000 before tax, with the first being per month and the latter being per year. So, you’ll need to make sure your income is secure before spending time on a move to this expensive city.
How Expensive is Living in Sydney?
On average, Sydney is 28.14% less expensive than New York (without rent), so while on the more costly side of places to live, there are certainly places where you’ll spend even more money around the world. You’ll need about $1792 for basic living costs like food and clothing in Sydney, Australia, according to UBS.
Cost of Living for a Single Person in Sydney
A single person’s estimated monthly costs are $1,495 AUD, without rent factored in.
Cost of Living in Sydney for a Family of 4
For a family of 4, the estimated cost of living per month is $5,462 AUD, without rent factored in. For a family of 5, this would go up fairly significantly, particularly if one of the children was young and needed to attend a daycare facility.
Cost of Living in Sydney for a Student
The cost of living per person per year for a student in Sydney, Australia, is $21,041 AUD. Broken down by month, this would average out to around $1753 per month.
Conclusion: Is it expensive to live in Sydney, Australia?
In short, yes, it is expensive to live in Sydney. But, if you are looking to have the ultimate Australian, “down under” experience, it may be worth it to you to figure out how to budget to move there.
While it consistently ranks in the top 10 most expensive cities to live in and is the most expensive Australian city, it also provides waterside life with the beautiful opera house and harbor and so many other unique opportunities for experiences.
I hope if you decide to relocate there, you’ll let me know and send me all of your fabulous photographs!
Learn More About Living Abroad:
- Is Sydney safe for solo female travellers?
- Pros and Cons of Living in Australia
- Living in England vs. Australia: Which is Better [2022]
- Travelling From Australia to New Zealand: The Ultimate Travel Guide
- 25 Pros and Cons of Living in New Zealand
- Moving and Living Abroad Guide
- Quiz: What Country Should I Move To?
Book cheap airline tickets and accommodations withBooking.com to save money when you’re moving abroad!
Living Abroad Travel Planning Guide
🚑Should I buy expat travel insurance?
100%YES!— With basic coverage averaging just $5-10 USD per day, enjoy peace of mind with a plan from Safety Wing!
🌎 What is the best country to live in as an expat?
It depends – the best country to live in as an expat will depend on your unique needs. I developed this free quiz to help you figure out where is right for you!
📍 How do I pick a country to live abroad?
It depends – picking a country to live in is hard. That’s why I developed this $7 course to share all of the steps I’ve taken when deciding to move to 20+ different countries, and how I handle homesickness when I get there.
Ultimately, making the choice of where to move is going to be hard. But the hardest thing is deciding to move abroad at all!
💼 How do I get a job as an expat?
You can find work abroad via local job boards or temp agencies. My favourite way to work is remotely, so I always look for jobs on FlexJobs.com when I live abroad. They hire for 100% remote roles only.
If you’re looking to teach English abroad, Premier TEFL has the best online course to get you great work!
💰 How do I open a bank account abroad?
Wise.com offers free global accounts, and the cheapest money transfers. Since it can be a headache to open bank accounts in different countries (it took me 2 months in the UK!), Wise.com is a great solution.
I actually use it as my primary bank now worldwide due to the multi-currency debit card. (Read more)
👯♀️ How do you make friends abroad?
Meetup.com – Meet likeminded people who share a similar hobby with Meetup! It’s free to join, but some activities may cost money, like if you go to a cafe and get a coffee.
🙀 I don’t speak the language. Can I still live abroad?
Learn languages in no time with iTalki! Moving abroad is an opportunity to learn the language. You don’t need to know it before you leave home.
💻 Do I need a VPN?
Yes! – VPNs allow you to access more of the internet. From US Netflix in the UK to social media sites banned in Asia. It’s a really helpful and cheap thing to ensure your online activities aren’t restricted.
🧳 What’s the best luggage for living abroad?
This is my favourite luggage set for long term travel. You can read more about my review of types of suitcases for travel here.
🏡 How do I tell my friends and family I want to live abroad?
Take this $7 course and learn the exact script I used to tell my family I was moving abroad … and then when I did it again. I even include tips for prepping your family, and for how to handle family who aren’t supportive.
✈️What’s the best site to buy cheap flights?
To find cheap flights, I recommendSkyscanner. (Read more)
🏨What’s the best site to find cheap hotels?
To find cheap hotels, I recommendBooking.com. (Read more)
Or stay for free with Trusted Housesitters!
🚗What’s the best site to rent cars abroad?
To find cheap rental cars, I recommendDiscover Cars.
🚗What’s the best site to find tours?
To find epic tours, I recommendViator.
