Australia’s capital cities: Where’s it cheaper to live? (July 2023)
1. Rent
Many of us spend a considerable chunk of our salary on rent each month, so let’s start with how much of your salary you can expect to allocate to rent.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-bedroom Apartment in the City | 2,293.63 | 3,297.91 | 2,537.74 | 2,080.00 | 2,530.15 | 2,160.29 | 1,400.00 |
3-Bedroom Apartment Outside the City | 2,848.26 | 4,045.66 | 2,523.03 | 2,773.33 | 2,719.77 | 2,556.22 | 1,886.67 |
Let’s assume you’re a single person or a couple, and you love the hustle and bustle of the city. You’ll see that a 1-bedroom apartment in the city centre is most affordable in Hobart, Tasmania’s capital.
However, perhaps you’re immigrating as a family, and you want a 3-bedroom apartment in the suburbs. Hobart is again the most affordable city, with Brisbane being the next most affordable city to settle.
Naturally, your living costs will also include an internet connection, utilities like water and electricity, and municipal services. Here’s how much you could expect to spend in each city:
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage collection (85m² apartment) | 275.00 | 310.87 | 332.46 | 340.00 | 342.88 | 451.73 | 300.00 |
Internet (60 mbps or more, unlimited data, cable/ADSL) | 83.90 | 86.92 | 95.00 | 90.00 | 93.24 | 91.24 | 90.00 |
2. Groceries
To give you a good idea of what you’ll spend at the shops, we selected 11 items that all of us buy regularly.
Your basket of groceries will cost the least in Hobart. Darwin and Perth are the second and third most affordable cities.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1L Milk | 2.31 | 2.75 | 2.33 | 1.70 | 2.74 | 2.34 | 2.04 |
Loaf of white bread | 3.69 | 4.03 | 3.63 | 3.20 | 3.49 | 3.94 | 3.21 |
12 Eggs | 5.60 | 6.01 | 5.89 | 6.37 | 6.55 | 6.34 | 5.26 |
1kg Local cheese | 18.13 | 15.17 | 15.70 | 11.20 | 13.71 | 23.48 | 9.12 |
1kg Chicken fillets | 13.70 | 13.18 | 12.95 | 12.40 | 13.70 | 13.41 | 9.75 |
1kg Beef round | 23.36 | 22.33 | 24.43 | 24.00 | 22.09 | 29.48 | 18.83 |
1kg Rice | 3.60 | 3.57 | 3.28 | 3.40 | 3.36 | 4.01 | 1.80 |
1kg Apples | 5.01 | 4.90 | 4.76 | 5.24 | 5.35 | 4.83 | 4.25 |
1kg Bananas | 3.82 | 3.86 | 3.79 | 3.55 | 3.93 | 4.45 | 3.50 |
Lettuce | 5.38 | 4.40 | 4.12 | 3.75 | 3.31 | 4.28 | 3.30 |
1kg Tomatoes | 7.35 | 7.57 | 7.01 | 6.33 | 6.70 | 7.43 | 7.88 |
1kg Potatoes | 4.06 | 3.78 | 3.58 | 5.38 | 3.31 | 4.70 | 3.33 |
Total cost | 96.01 | 91.55 | 91.47 | 86.52 | 88.24 | 108.69 | 72.27 |
3. School fees
Going to public school in Australia is free, although schools can charge ‘voluntary contributions’ for some items and events.
Let’s say, however, that you choose to send your child to a private institution. In this case, Darwin has the lowest monthly preschool fees, with Hobart coming in second place. The fees in both these cities are much lower than in the other capitals.
When it comes to primary school fees, it’s Hobart that’s most affordable and Darwin, while double the price of Hobart, is the second-most affordable city.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Private preschool (or Kindergarten) - Full day for one child | 2,534.94 | 2,675.86 | 2,569.23 | 800.00 | 2,594.42 | 2,148.76 | 1,500.00 |
International primary school annual fee for one child | 30,550.00 | 24,497.62 | 15,820.83 | 10,000.00 | 22,832.00 | 19,064.92 | 5,000.00 |
4. Getting around
To go about your daily business in Australia, you can either take public transport or buy a car.
Taking public transport
Darwin is the clear winner when it comes to the cost of public transport. Your one-way ticket is going to be AU$3 while a monthly pass will cost you AU$63.48.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1-Way Ticket on Local Transport | 4.60 | 5.00 | 4.75 | 3.00 | 4.50 | 4.50 | 3.90 |
Monthly Pass | 168.00 | 217.39 | 210.00 | 63.48 | 175.25 | 112.08 | 91.45 |
Buying a car
You’ll notice that there aren’t massive variances between new car prices across the seven capitals. The same is true for the cost of a litre of petrol, but we all know those cents add up quickly when filling up a car.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (or equivalent new car) | 38,000.00 | 35,145.00 | 38,000.00 | 47,500.00 | 30,000.00 | 34,882.50 | 33,500.00 |
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (or equivalent new car) | 30,435.53 | 30,587.96 | 31,581.85 | 38,333.33 | 31,770.71 | 29,314.29 | 26,187.50 |
1L Petrol | 2.05 | 2.05 | 2.10 | 1.93 | 1.95 | 2.01 | 1.96 |
5. Going out for a meal
Enjoying a meal with friends is a favourite pastime for many of us. You get to unwind, catch up on each other’s lives, and have a good laugh or two.
Lunch at your local restaurant
Melbourne is cheapest for local, laid-back restaurants and a simple meal. Your meal and two drinks are going to set you back AU$33.38, which is much considerably less than the AU$50.77 you’ll spend in an Adelaide restaurant.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Restaurant Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant | 25.00 | 25.00 | 27.00 | 21.50 | 30.00 | 35.00 | 25.00 |
500ml Draught Beer | 12.00 | 10.00 | 11.00 | 10.00 | 11.00 | 11.60 | 8.00 |
330ml Coke | 3.91 | 3.65 | 4.29 | 3.57 | 4.30 | 4.17 | 3.58 |
Total | 33.38 | 38.65 | 42.29 | 35.07 | 45.30 | 50.77 | 36.58 |
3-course Dinner at an up-market restaurant
Sometimes we like to treat ourselves and go to a restaurant with all the trimmings. Let’s imagine it’s your birthday. You want a three-course meal with a good bottle of wine. Your birthday dinner is going to cost the least in Hobart.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3-Course Dinner at an Up-Market Restaurant | 130.00 | 140.00 | 150.00 | 110.00 | 140.00 | 185.00 | 100.00 |
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range; Brought from Home) | 20.00 | 20.00 | 20.00 | 20.00 | 20.00 | 20.00 | 13.50 |
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range; Brought from Home) | 150.00 | 160.00 | 170.00 | 130.00 | 160.00 | 205.00 | 113.50 |
6. Your morning coffee run
Grabbing a coffee on the way to work is such an integral part of our lives. Hobart is the most affordable city for a cappuccino and that bottle of water you grab to go with it. On mainland Australia, your coffee run is going to be most affordable in Darwin.
| Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Darwin | Perth | Adelaide | Hobart | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cappuccino | 5.43 | 4.93 | 5.53 | 4.92 | 5.63 | 6.07 | 5.11 |
Bottle of Water | 3.50 | 3.42 | 3.56 | 3.40 | 3.65 | 3.35 | 2.30 |
Total | 8.93 | 8.35 | 9.09 | 8.32 | 9.28 | 9.42 | 7.41 |
In conclusion
Overall, Hobart offers the most affordable cost of living, if you’re willing to live in Tasmania.
Darwin is a good second choice if you’d prefer to stay on Australia’s mainland. This city in the Northern Territory has the lowest school fees and most affordable public transport options. Darwin also has the second-most affordable basket of groceries and its internet, utilities and municipal services costs the same as Hobart’s.
To decide where to live, consider these living costs together with each city’s lifestyle factors. You might decide that spending a bit more month is worth if it means you can live the life you’re seeking.
Note: All of the costs were taken from Numbeo, July 2023.
