Sydney vs Melbourne
Salary & cost of living comparison
Metric
Sydney
Melbourne
Median Salary
$62,000
↑
$58,000
↓
Rent (1BR)
$2,200
↑
$1,700
↓
Rent (2BR)
$3,100
↑
$2,400
↓
CoL Index
80
↑
70
↓
Groceries
85
↑
80
↓
Transport
$140
↑
$130
↓
Tax Rate
30.5%
↑
30%
↓
Tech Hub
7/10
↑
6/10
↓
Cost of Living Ratio
0.88
Melbourne is cheaper
Rent Ratio
0.77
Salary Equivalent Ratio
0.88
💰 Salary Equivalents
Enter your salary to see the equivalent:
$
in Sydney
=
—
in Melbourne
Common salary equivalents:
$50k in Sydney
=
$44k in Melbourne
$80k in Sydney
=
$70k in Melbourne
$100k in Sydney
=
$88k in Melbourne
$120k in Sydney
=
$106k in Melbourne
$150k in Sydney
=
$132k in Melbourne
$200k in Sydney
=
$176k in Melbourne
📈 Monthly Budget Breakdown
Sydney
$4,282/mo net
Rent $2,200
Groceries $383
Transport $140
Utilities $120
Leisure $200
Savings $1,239
Melbourne
$4,057/mo net
Rent $1,700
Groceries $360
Transport $130
Utilities $105
Leisure $175
Savings $1,587
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Melbourne is approximately 13% cheaper than Sydney based on overall cost of living index.
To maintain the same standard of living as a $100,000 salary in Sydney, you would need approximately $88,000 in Melbourne.
Melbourne has a lower effective tax rate. Sydney has an effective rate of 30.5% while Melbourne has 30%.
Sydney ranks higher for tech workers with a tech hub score of 7/10 compared to 6/10.