NSW cost of living

The cost of living in NSW

Compared to many other countries, people in Australia enjoy high-quality lifestyles and a low cost of living. New South Wales is blessed with a strong economy, globally competitive salaries and well-priced goods and services.

NSW's low cost of living

NSW has a sophisticated, modern economy – the cost of living in the state is highly competitive compared with other areas in the Asia Pacific.

Australia's GDP per capita is level with Japan and higher than that of Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK when measured on a purchasing power parity basis (adjusting for differences in price levels).

To estimate the cost of everyday living in NSW – shown in the currency of your local country – you can use the calculators on OzForex or Your Mortgage.

Groceries

Australia is famous for its high-quality, well-priced food and its abundance of fresh local produce including meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. To estimate the cost of your weekly food bill visit grocery websites and browse their food products and prices.

Woolworths is one of Australia's biggest food retailers and has stores throughout the state. Coles is another major national supermarket chain with stores in large cities and small regional towns.

Department stores

To get an idea of the cost of items such as towels, sheets, kitchenware, toiletries and clothing visit the websites of Australia's major department stores including David Jones or Myer.

Furniture and homewares

To estimate the cost of furnishing your home, you can visit the websites of major home wares stores such as Ikea and Freedom Furniture. You can also take advantage of websites selling second-hand goods, including eBay and Gumtree.

Petrol (gasoline)

The Australian Automobile Association compiles figures on petrol prices and updates them regularly.

Cars

For information on new and second-hand car prices and to see which manufacturers sell cars in Australia, visit Drive. If you would like additional information on the cost of motoring in NSW, visit the NRMA, the state's main roadside assistance organisation.

Car share companies such as GoGet operate in major Australian cities, including Sydney, and are becoming a popular and affordable alternative to buying a car. NSW also has many car hire companies including Europcar and Budget. You can obtain information on car hire prices by visiting individual websites.