Cost of Living · US vs AU
🇺🇸 New York vs 🇦🇺 Sydney: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,410 in United States vs $2,238 in Australia — 7.15% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Australia
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -8.02%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -8.02%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -8.02%
Closest to United States prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -2.11%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -2.36%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -2.37%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United States | Australia | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,750 | $1,610 (2,498 AUD) | -8.02% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,400 | $1,288 (1,998 AUD) | -8.02% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $3,200 | $2,943 (4,568 AUD) | -8.02% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.00 | $16.85 (26 AUD) | -6.39% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $75.00 | $70.23 (109 AUD) | -6.36% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $11.00 | $10.36 (16 AUD) | -5.82% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.10 | $1.05 (2 AUD) | -4.55% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.20 | $3.05 (5 AUD) | -4.69% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.40 | $3.24 (5 AUD) | -4.71% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $10.00 | $9.53 (15 AUD) | -4.7% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $4.00 | $3.81 (6 AUD) | -4.75% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.80 | $4.58 (7 AUD) | -4.58% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $12.00 | $11.44 (18 AUD) | -4.67% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.00 | $1.91 (3 AUD) | -4.5% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $6.00 | $5.62 (9 AUD) | -6.33% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.00 | $7.81 (12 AUD) | -2.38% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $5.00 | $4.68 (7 AUD) | -6.4% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.30 | $2.19 (3 AUD) | -4.78% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $65.00 | $61.23 (95 AUD) | -5.8% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.75 | $2.59 (4 AUD) | -5.82% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $4.00 | $3.75 (6 AUD) | -6.25% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.80 | $1.69 (3 AUD) | -6.11% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.95 | $0.93 (1 AUD) | -2.11% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $200 | $188 (292 AUD) | -5.8% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $70.00 | $65.94 (102 AUD) | -5.8% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $45.00 | $42.39 (66 AUD) | -5.8% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $50.00 | $46.82 (73 AUD) | -6.36% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $14.00 | $13.11 (20 AUD) | -6.36% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $30.00 | $28.09 (44 AUD) | -6.37% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $55.00 | $53.70 (83 AUD) | -2.36% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $90.00 | $87.87 (136 AUD) | -2.37% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $250 | $234 (363 AUD) | -6.36% |
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 cheaper is Australia than United States?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $2,238 in Australia versus $2,410 in United States — 7.15% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Australia?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $5.62 in Australia (≈ 8.72 AUD), versus about $6.00 in United States.
- How much is rent in Australia compared to United States?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $1,610/month in Australia versus $1,750/month in United States (-8.02%). 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.