Compare your monthly expenses across Australia’s 15 largest cities — from Sydney to Townsville. Enter your income and household type to see your real take-home pay, rent affordability, and monthly savings, all calculated from official ABS, Domain, and AER data.
Pick Your City & Household
Choose from Australia's top 15 cities by population and select single, couple, or family with children.
Enter Your Income
Type your gross or net monthly income — we calculate your exact take-home after Australian income tax and Medicare levy.
See Your Full Monthly Budget
Get a complete breakdown of rent, utilities, groceries, transport, dining out, and how much you save each month.
Cost of Living Calculator
Australia · Compare cities · Accommodation · Utilities · Food · Transport · 2025–26
Select City
Household Type
Monthly Income (A$)
Accommodation Type
Dining Out Budget
Expense Summary
Based on your selected inputs.
Monthly & Weekly Breakdown
| Category | Monthly | Weekly |
|---|---|---|
| Net Income | ||
| Net Income | A$0 | A$0 |
| Expenses | ||
| ↳ Accommodation | A$0 | A$0 |
| ↳ Utilities | A$0 | A$0 |
| · Electricity | A$0 | — |
| · Internet (NBN) | A$70 | — |
| · Mobile (1 person) | A$40 | — |
| ↳ Groceries | A$0 | A$0 |
| ↳ Transport | A$0 | A$0 |
| Monthly Savings | A$0 | A$0 |
Adjust your inputs to see your savings estimate.
Domain Rental Report Sep 2025 | AER DMO 2025-26 | ABS Employee Earnings Aug 2025
ATO Tax Rates 2024-25 | ABS Household Expenditure Survey
Last verified: April 2026
City Comparison — Your Budget
How your current income & preferences would look in each city — calculated live from your inputs above. All city-specific costs (rent, electricity, transport) auto-update per city. Accommodation defaults to a 1-bedroom unit at each city's median rent.
| City | 1-Bed Rent | Total Expenses | Savings | Savings Rate | Rent % Income | Status |
|---|
This comparison uses the same income and household type across all cities, with city-specific rents (1-bed unit median), electricity, and transport. Brisbane stands out for its extremely low transport cost (50¢ flat fare). Canberra often provides the best financial outcome despite similar rents to Melbourne — due to its higher median salary. ABS data shows ACT has the highest median wages of any Australian jurisdiction.
Accommodation — Melbourne
Median weekly rents from the Domain Rental Report September 2025, converted to monthly (× 52/12). Rents have stabilised across most capital cities — five consecutive quarters of flat house rents as at September 2025.
| Type | Monthly Rent | % of Median Income | Notes |
|---|
Rental stress: ABS and Australian housing researchers define rental stress as spending more than 30% of gross household income on rent. A 1-bedroom apartment in Sydney at $3,250/month requires a gross household income of approximately $130,000/year to avoid rental stress. Vacancy rates remain critically low across all capital cities (well below the 2-3% considered healthy). Source: Domain, ABS.
Food & Dining in Australia
🛒 Groceries
Monthly grocery estimates from the ABS Household Expenditure Survey. Costs are slightly higher in Sydney and Canberra, lower in Adelaide and Brisbane.
| Common Grocery Items | Avg Price (Woolworths / Coles) |
|---|---|
| Bread (white loaf, 700g) | A$3.00 – A$4.50 |
| Eggs (12 pack, free range) | A$5.50 – A$8.00 |
| Full cream milk (2 litres) | A$3.50 – A$4.50 |
| Chicken breast (500g) | A$7.00 – A$10.00 |
| Beef mince (500g) | A$8.00 – A$12.00 |
| White rice (1 kg) | A$3.00 – A$5.00 |
| Bananas (1 kg) | A$2.50 – A$4.50 |
| Cheddar cheese (500g) | A$7.00 – A$10.00 |
🍽️ Dining Out
| Venue / Item | Typical Price | Monthly est. (1×/day avg) |
|---|---|---|
| Café coffee (flat white) | A$5.00 – A$6.50 | ~A$150–195/month |
| Café lunch (sandwich / salad) | A$18 – A$28 | ~A$350–560 if weekdays |
| Pub meal / bistro | A$22 – A$35 | Varies |
| Mid-range restaurant (per person) | A$35 – A$65 | Varies |
| McDonald's / fast food combo | A$14 – A$18 | Varies |
| Beer (pint) at pub | A$10 – A$16 | Varies |
| Wine (bottle, BYO restaurant) | A$20 – A$40 | Varies |
Source: ABS Household Expenditure Survey | Market price checks April 2026
Public Transport by City
Each of Australia's major cities has its own public transport system and fare structure. Queensland cities (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Cairns) all share the same 50¢ flat fare introduced in 2025 — the cheapest in Australia. Sydney's Opal $50 weekly cap is the most expensive of any major city.
| City | System | Monthly Est. | Key Feature | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne VIC | Myki Card | ~A$153 | Zone 1+2 Myki Pass · Free Tram Zone in CBD · Under-18s free (Jan 2026) · 2-hour fare covers all trips in window. | PTV Victoria |
| Sydney NSW | Opal Card | ~A$217 | $50 weekly cap (adult) · $19.30 daily cap Mon–Thu · $9.65 Fri–Sun · 30% off-peak discount. Effective 14 July 2025. | Transport for NSW |
| Brisbane QLD | go card (TransLink) | ~A$22 | 50¢ flat fare (QLD Government, 2025) — cheapest PT in Australia. Bus, train, ferry and CityCat all 50¢ per trip. | TransLink QLD |
| Perth WA | SmartRider (Transperth) | ~A$130 | Zone-based fare system. Zones 1–2 cover inner Perth. SmartRider gives 10% discount vs cash. Daily cap applies. | Transperth |
| Adelaide SA | Metrocard (Adelaide Metro) | ~A$115 | Single zone covers the entire metro network — no distance penalty. Metrocard discount vs cash. 2-hour free transfers. | Adelaide Metro |
| Gold Coast QLD | go card (TransLink) | ~A$22 | 50¢ flat fare same as Brisbane. Covers bus, train, tram (G:link light rail) and ferry services across the Gold Coast region. | TransLink QLD |
| Newcastle NSW | Opal Card | ~A$140 | Same Opal system as Sydney. Regional fares apply — typically lower than Sydney metro. $50 weekly cap still applies. | Transport for NSW |
| Canberra ACT | MyWay+ Card | ~A$100 | Flat-rate bus and light rail (Capital Metro) network covering the ACT. MyWay+ card gives a discount on cash fares. | Transport Canberra |
| Sunshine Coast QLD | go card (TransLink) | ~A$22 | 50¢ flat fare same as Brisbane. Covers bus services across Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Caloundra regions. | TransLink QLD |
| Central Coast NSW | Opal Card | ~A$140 | Opal system covers train to Sydney and local buses. Weekly cap $50 applies. Off-peak discounts reduce commuter costs. | Transport for NSW |
| Wollongong NSW | Opal Card | ~A$120 | Opal system covers train to Sydney and local buses. Shorter typical commutes than Newcastle give a lower monthly estimate. | Transport for NSW |
| Geelong VIC | Myki Card | ~A$100 | Zone 2 Myki — lower cost than Melbourne Zone 1+2. Covers V/Line trains to Melbourne and local bus services. | PTV Victoria |
| Hobart TAS | Metro Tasmania (Greencard) | ~A$100 | Bus-only network covering greater Hobart. Greencard gives a discount vs cash fares. Limited ferry services also available. | Metro Tasmania |
| Townsville QLD | go card (TransLink) | ~A$22 | 50¢ flat fare same as Brisbane. Covers bus services across Townsville. Smaller network but same flat-rate pricing. | TransLink QLD |
| Cairns QLD | go card (TransLink) | ~A$22 | 50¢ flat fare same as Brisbane. Bus network covers Cairns CBD, northern beaches, and surrounds. Many residents use bicycles due to flat terrain. | TransLink QLD |
Car ownership in Australia: The ABS reports average car running costs (excluding purchase) of approximately A$350–500/month, including fuel, registration, insurance, and maintenance. Add financing costs and depreciation on a typical new car, and total cost of ownership commonly exceeds A$700–1,000+/month. Public transport — particularly in Brisbane and Adelaide — offers major savings vs car ownership.
For educational purposes only. All figures are estimates based on median or typical values from official Australian government sources. Rental figures are city-wide medians — costs within each city vary significantly by suburb and proximity to CBD. Gross-to-net income conversion uses ATO 2024-25 individual income tax rates and the Low Income Tax Offset (LITO). The Medicare Levy Surcharge (MLS) is not included. Superannuation (12%) is employer-paid and does not reduce take-home pay. Childcare cost estimates assume Australian resident families eligible for the Childcare Subsidy (CCS) at median income — actual CCS depends on household income, activity test, and provider fees. This calculator does not constitute financial advice.
City-by-City Cost Comparison
How Much Is Left After Paying Rent?
Monthly Expense Breakdown
Monthly Transport Cost by City
Monthly Electricity Bill by City
Full Data Table — Top 15 Australian Cities 2025–26
| Rank | City / State | Population | 1-Bed Unit/mo | House/mo | Electricity/mo | Transport/mo | Median Income/mo | After-Rent Surplus | Total Basic Exp/mo |
|---|
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