Cost of Living · AU vs US
🇦🇺 Sydney vs 🇺🇸 New York: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,238 in Australia vs $2,410 in United States — 7.7% more expensive.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in United States
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: 2.15%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): 2.42%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): 2.42%
Closest to Australia prices
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: +8.73%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: +8.72%
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: +8.72%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Australia | United States | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,610 | $1,750 | +8.72% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,288 | $1,400 | +8.73% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,943 | $3,200 | +8.72% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $16.85 | $18.00 | +6.82% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $70.23 | $75.00 | +6.79% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $10.36 | $11.00 | +6.18% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.05 | $1.10 | +4.76% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.05 | $3.20 | +4.92% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.24 | $3.40 | +4.94% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $9.53 | $10.00 | +4.93% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $3.81 | $4.00 | +4.99% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.58 | $4.80 | +4.8% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $11.44 | $12.00 | +4.9% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.91 | $2.00 | +4.71% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $5.62 | $6.00 | +6.76% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.81 | $8.00 | +2.43% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $4.68 | $5.00 | +6.84% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.19 | $2.30 | +5.02% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $61.23 | $65.00 | +6.16% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.59 | $2.75 | +6.18% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.75 | $4.00 | +6.67% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.69 | $1.80 | +6.51% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.93 | $0.95 | +2.15% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $188 | $200 | +6.16% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $65.94 | $70.00 | +6.16% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $42.39 | $45.00 | +6.16% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $46.82 | $50.00 | +6.79% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $13.11 | $14.00 | +6.79% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $28.09 | $30.00 | +6.8% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $53.70 | $55.00 | +2.42% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $87.87 | $90.00 | +2.42% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $234 | $250 | +6.79% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much more expensive is United States than Australia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,410 in United States versus $2,238 in Australia — 7.7% more. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in United States?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $6.00 in United States, versus about $5.62 in Australia.
- How much is rent in United States compared to Australia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,750/month in United States versus $1,610/month in Australia (+8.72%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.