Cost of living comparison

A month’s rent is $1,280 cheaper in Hobart than Sydney. Find out how else the cost of living differs between states.

Cameron Thach's headshot
James Martin's headshot

By

Cameron Thach

&

James Martin

Updated

Key takeaways

  • Sydney is the most expensive major city in Australia and the most expensive city overall.
  • Townsville is 43% less expensive than Sydney, it is the least expensive city in the country.
  • Insurance and financial services saw the largest increase in average prices from October 2023 to October 2024.
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 61% higher than the cost in Darwin, which is the least expensive capital city.

Monthly rent in a 2 bedroom apartment* is likely to cost you around $694 more a month in Sydney than in Melbourne. That increases to $1,020 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 $48 cheaper a month in Sydney and broadband costs are around the same.

The cheapest major city for housing in Australia is Darwin. Overall, it's 46% less expensive than in Sydney with rent being on average $1,557 cheaper a month. Almost all of the money you save is down to cheap rent though because utilities, Internet and other household goods in Darwin are among the most expensive in Australia.

Note: The figures in this guide are based on the average pricing found on the cost-of-living website Expatistan.

Most expensive cities for housing

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Written by

Insurance Content Writer

Cameron is the local insurance scholar at Finder. With a diverse background writing in independent education, web-3, and finance, his mission is to build helpful content and that speaks to readers in language they understand. See full bio

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Co-written by

Editor

James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, WIN News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

James's expertise
James has written 204 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Car, home, life, health, travel and pet insurance
  • Managing the cost of living
  • Money-saving tips
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