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Hobart vs Sydney cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Hobart
๐ฆ๐บ Sydney
At a glance
- Where Sydney is clearly cheaper: Laundry (32%โ)
- Where Hobart is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (36%โ), Scooter rental (30%โ), Haircut (25%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Hobart 3 vs Sydney 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Hobart | Sydney | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 22$14.7 | A$ 20$13.3 | Sydney โ9% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 16$10.7 | A$ 14$9.33 | Sydney โ12% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 48$32 | A$ 60$40 | Hobart โ20% |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 5.4$3.6 | A$ 5.5$3.67 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 11$7.33 | A$ 12$8 | Hobart โ8% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 19$12.7 | A$ 22$14.7 | Hobart โ14% |
| Bottled water | A$ 3.5$2.33 | A$ 3.5$2.33 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4.5$3 | A$ 4.5$3 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 18$12 | A$ 19$12.7 | Hobart โ5% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 11$7.33 | A$ 12$8 | Hobart โ8% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 35$23.3 | A$ 50$33.3 | Hobart โ30% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 180$120 | A$ 220$147 | Hobart โ18% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 1,800$1,200 | A$ 2,800$1,867 | Hobart โ36% |
| Laundry | A$ 11$7.33 | A$ 7.5$5 | Sydney โ32% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 30$20 | A$ 30$20 | similar |
| Haircutcut | A$ 30$20 | A$ 40$26.7 | Hobart โ25% |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 90$60 | A$ 90$60 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 110$73.3 | A$ 100$66.7 | Sydney โ9% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 39$26 | A$ 45$30 | Hobart โ13% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Hobart or Sydney?
Hobart is 15% cheaper than Sydney. Daily budget $238 vs $274; a month $5,038 vs $6,088.
Which is easier to travel, Hobart or Sydney?
About the same: Hobart 1.4/5, Sydney 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Hobart and Sydney?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Hobart is about $5,038 and Sydney about $6,088 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.