Ever wondered how much money you could save by living in a different city to the one you're currently in? We've broken down the main costs of living in the major cities across Australia, from housing and food to transport, and provided estimates of how much you're likely to pay.
Housing cost of living comparison
The most expensive place for housing in Australia is Sydney. Including utilities, it's 48.51% higher than the cost of Adelaide, which is the least priciest capital city.
Monthly rent in a 2 bedroom apartment* is likely to cost you around $671 more a month in Sydney than in Melbourne. That increases to $1,015 if you want to live in an expensive area. You can save a small amount when it comes to utilities, however. Gas, electricity and water are $23 cheaper a month in Sydney and broadband costs are around the same.
The cheapest major city for housing in Australia is Adelaide. Overall, it's 61.19% less expensive than in Sydney with rent being on average $1,338 cheaper a month. Almost all of the money you save is down to cheap rent though because utilities, Internet and other household goods in Adelaide are among the most expensive in Australia.
Note: The figures in this guide are based on the combined average of pricing found on 2 cost-of-living websites: Expatistan and Numbeo.
Most expensive cities for housing
The most expensive major city for housing and utilities is Sydney. To give you a comparison of how much more it is, check out how it compares to the other big cities in Australia:
It's 36% more expensive than in Melbourne
It's 45% more expensive than in Perth
It's 52% more expensive than in Hobart
It's 25% more expensive than in Brisbane
It's 48% more expensive than in Adelaide
*85 m2 apartment
Sydney
Melbourne
Perth
Brisbane
Adelaide
Hobart
Darwin
Canberra
Monthly rent for 85m2 furnished accommodation in an expensive area
$3,526
$2,511
$2,239
$2,680
$2,118
$2,210
$2,355
$2,985
Monthly rent for 85m2 furnished accommodation in a normal area
$2,508
$1,837
$1,719
$2,068
$1,621
$1,699
$1,353
$2,288
Utilities (1 month) for 2 people in 85m2 flat
$226
$249
$342
$319
$339
$262
$300
$323
Monthly rent for a 45m2 furnished studio in an expensive area
$2,752
$1,931
$1,843
$1,998
$1,536
$2,376
$2,021
$1,917
Monthly rent for a 45m2 furnished studio in a normal area
$1,864
$1,482
$1,258
$1,589
$1,103
$1,420
$1,397
$1,640
Utilities (1 month) for 1 person in a 45m2 studio
$182
$170
$147
$250
$140
$243
$337
$179
Internet 8 mbps (1 month)
$74
$75
$73
$80
$76
$81
$81
$79
40" flat screen TV
$728
$892
$563
$493
$506
$739
$628
$470
Microwave 800/900 watt
$222
$286
$222
$333
$233
$413
$206
$267
Laundry detergent (100 oz.)
$13
$12
$11
$14
$9
$10
$11
$11
Hourly rate for cleaning help
$42
$36
$31
$34
$31
$43
$30
$35
Food cost of living comparison
Canberra is the most expensive city for food in Australia. On average, it's 8% more expensive than Melbourne which comes in second place and 26% more expensive than Darwin, the least expensive capital for food costs.
That said, the price of food across the country doesn't vary anywhere near as much as housing and rental prices.
In most cities, there's fairly little difference overall. For example, there's a 68c difference between the most expensive city for milk (Perth) and the cheapest (Syndey).
Most expensive cities for food
Here's a ranked list of the most expensive major cities for food.
Canberra. Food is around 12% more expensive in Canberra than in other major cities
Brisbane/Melbourne. Food in Brisbane and Melbourne costs around the same and is 8% cheaper than in Canberra
Perth. Food in Perth is 4% cheaper than in Sydney
Sydney. Food in Sydney is 13% cheaper than in Canberra
Hobart. Food in Adelaide and Hobart costs around the same and is 11% cheaper than in Canberra
Adelaide. Food in Adelaide is 15% cheaper than in Sydney.
Darwin. Food in Darwin is 21% cheaper than in Canberra.
Sydney
Melbourne
Perth
Brisbane
Adelaide
Hobart
Darwin
Canberra
Basic lunch (including drink) in the business district
$20.50
$22.50
$23.50
$23.50
$24.25
$22.50
$18.50
$28.5
500 g of boneless chicken breast
$8
$6.85
$6.82
$6.03
$6.20
$5.14
$7.10
$6.48
1 litre of milk
$1.50
$1.96
$2.18
$2.07
$1.86
$1.59
$1.63
$1.93
12 large eggs
$5.33
$6.25
$6.14
$6.67
$5.33
$5.24
$5.66
$6.24
1 kg of tomatoes
$7
$7.38
$6.26
$6.46
$6.21
$7.94
$5.25
$6.01
0.5 litre domestic beer in the supermarket
$5.66
$6.28
$6.03
$5.90
$5.86
$6.84
$5.87
$6.00
Bread for 2 people for 1 day
$2.49
$2.30
$1.79
$2.46
$2.07
$2.27
$1.97
$2.85
Finder survey: Have life insurance premiums for Australians of different ages gone up in the last 12 months?
Response
75+ yrs
65-74 yrs
55-64 yrs
45-54 yrs
35-44 yrs
25-34 yrs
18-24 yrs
I don't have life insurance
82.76%
69.14%
54.65%
48.7%
39.59%
33.49%
47.42%
No
8.62%
8%
11.63%
11.4%
9.14%
18.81%
13.4%
Yes
6.9%
14.29%
25%
26.94%
30.96%
24.77%
24.74%
I don't know
1.72%
8.57%
8.72%
12.95%
20.3%
22.94%
14.43%
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1110 Australians, December 2023
Transport cost of living comparison
Sydney is also the most expensive city for transport. Public transport in the country's most populated city is more expensive than in Adelaide by almost double (48%) although you'll pay about the same for a taxi. There's just a 4c difference between fuel in Sydney and Melbourne but the same car, simply bought in different cities, is likely to cost you almost $2,000 more.
Darwin and Hobart are much cheaper, particularly when it comes to public transport. They're 68% and 58% cheaper than in Sydney. You can get around both cities via public transport for less than $100 a month, which puts Sydney's staggering $200 bill into perspective.
Cheapest cities for transport
Darwin. The Northern Territory's capital is on average the cheapest major city in Australia when it comes to transport. It's 68% cheaper than in Sydney
Hobart. Transportation in Hobart is 57% cheaper than in Sydney
Adelaide. Coming in at just over the $100 mark, Adelaide is 48% cheaper than in Sydney.
Canberra. Transport costs 25% less than in Sydney
Perth. Transport costs 20% less than in Sydney
Melbourne. Transport in Victoria's capital is about 18% less than in Sydney
Brisbane. Transport is approximately 1% cheaper than Sydney.
Sydney. Last by some distance, Sydney is the most expensive city for all types of transport.
Sydney
Melbourne
Perth
Brisbane
Adelaide
Hobart
Darwin
Canberra
New Volkswagen golf 1.4 tsi (or equivalent)
$33,743
$31,870
$30,968
$33,465
$32,258
$30,529
$30,632
$27,699
1 litre (1/4 gallon) of fuel
$2.03
$2.07
$1.88
$2.05
$2.01
$1.90
$1.79
$1.79
Monthly ticket public transport
$200.20
$164.00
$160.00
$197.35
$103.25
$86.23
63.48
$99.94
Taxi trip on a business day, 8 km
$21
$21
$23
$25
$21
$24
$21
$24
Overall cost of living comparison
The table below gives you an idea of the differences between the overall costs of living in Australia's state capital cities. Sydney is still the most expensive city in Australia — you'll pay around a quarter more for living expenses in Sydney than if you lived in Darwin or Melbourne, and even more if you stayed in Adelaide or Hobart.
The overall costs of living in Adelaide and Hobart are very similar. According to Finder stats, Hobart is marginally the cheapest capital city to live in, followed closely by Adelaide.
The cost of living in Sydney is
22% more expensive than in Melbourne
25% more expensive than in Perth
1% more expensive than in Brisbane
49% more expensive than in Adelaide
21% more expensive than in Hobart
41% more expensive than in Darwin
13% more expensive than in Canberra
The cost of living in Melbourne is
18% cheaper than in Sydney
3% more expensive than in Perth
8% cheaper than in Brisbane
9% more expensive than in Adelaide
12% more expensive than in Hobart
16% more expensive than in Darwin
8% cheaper than in Canberra
The cost of living in Perth is
20% cheaper than in Sydney
2% cheaper than in Melbourne
14% cheaper than in Brisbane
2% more expensive than in Adelaide
4% more expensive than in Hobart
15% cheaper than in Darwin
9% cheaper than in Canberra
The cost of living in Brisbane is
1% cheaper than in Sydney
9% more expensive than in Melbourne
16% more expensive than in Perth
19% more expensive than in Adelaide
21% more expensive than in Hobart
15% more expensive than in Darwin
8% cheaper than in Canberra
The cost of living in Adelaide is
33% cheaper than in Sydney
8% cheaper than in Melbourne
2% cheaper than in Perth
16% cheaper than in Brisbane
2% more expensive than in Hobart
13% cheaper than in Darwin
24% cheaper than in Canberra
The cost of living in Hobart is
34% cheaper than in Sydney
10% cheaper than in Melbourne
4% cheaper than in Perth
18% cheaper than in Brisbane
2% cheaper than in Adelaide
12% more expensive than in Darwin
25% cheaper than in Canberra
The cost of living in Darwin is
29% cheaper than in Sydney
14% cheaper than in Melbourne
13% cheaper than in Perth
13% cheaper than in Brisbane
11% cheaper than in Adelaide
11% cheaper than in Hobart
21% cheaper than in Canberra
The cost of living in Canberra is
12% cheaper than in Sydney
8% more expensive than in Melbourne
10% more expensive than in Perth
9% more expensive than in Brisbane
31% more expensive than in Adelaide
34% more expensive than in Hobart
26% more expensive Darwin
Did you know?
Finder research has found 11 million Australians are taking action to deal with rising costs, including 48% who have dropped their living standards.
How to fight the increasing cost of living
Protect your income
With inflation on the rise and uncertainty in the economy, it's important to protect you recurring income. Income protection insurance can provide you with a monthly benefit as high as $30k if an injury or sickness were to prevent you from working at a point in time.
Income protection calculator: How much cover you could get
We estimate that you could get...(click Calculate to see results)
Understand where exactly your money is going first, and then adjust your budget slightly
Figure out how much your everyday essentials such as groceries and bills are costing you, and how much you spend on extra things like eating out, entertainment purchases, and holidays/travel spending. Budgeting apps like the Finder app can help you do this, by letting you see all your money in one place. Once you have a rough idea of your spending habits, you can then figure out where there's room to cut back.
Be smart with your groceries
Making a few changes to how you do your usual grocery shopping can help you save a decent amount each week. Here's some of them:
Buy frozen veggies as a cheaper alternative to fresh ones, plus they won't go to waste!
Embrace canned foods like beans, tuna and tomatoes. These ingredients are a great base for soups, stews, and pastas, as are rice and grains.
Buy dried foods in bulk, as it can be cheaper. Supermarkets usually have discounted tinned goods, so it's worth stocking up your pantry with these when the special offers are on, compared to buying bit by bit over time at full price.
Check out grocery comparison apps like Frugl to compare the cost of products between different supermarkets.
Invest some of your spare cash
If you have some extra cash laying around that isn't going towards bills, you can make your money grow even more.
If you haven't already, consider switching your existing savings account to a bonus interest savings account. It pays extra interest than other savings accounts, if you meet certain criteria.
Invest in other assets like shares or cryptocurrency. You can earn a higher return on your capital, but this can come with additional risk.
Why you can trust Finder's income protection experts
We're free
You pay the same as buying directly from the insurer. We make money from referral fees when you choose a policy, but you don't pay any extra.
We're experts
Our team of income protection experts have researched and rated dozens of policies as part of our Finder Awards and published 80+ guides.
We're independent
Unlike other comparison sites, we're not owned by an insurer. Our opinions are our own and all guides must meet our editorial standards.
We're here to help
Since 2016, we've helped thousands of Australians find income protection by explaining your cover options, simply and clearly.
Cristal Dyer is a travel writer at Finder. She has been writing about travel for over five years and has visited over 40 countries around the world. Cristal currently travels full-time, writing about her favourite cities and food finds, and she is always on the lookout for amazing flight deals to share.
One of the benefits of income protection insurance is that you may have the ability to claim a tax deduction on your premium benefits. Find out if the same rules apply for policies inside super.
Looking for the best income protection insurance but not exactly sure where to start? Compare the Finder Awards 2023 insurance winners.
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