✦ Compare
Sydney vs
Washington
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Washington, DC, you'd need
$77,433 / year
Washington, DC is 3% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Washington, DC vs Sydney, AU)
- Housing+8%
- Food & groceries-4%
- Transport+10%
- Utilities-5%
- Healthcare+12%
- Goods & services-2%
Median 1-bed rent
$2,200 /mo
Sydney, AU overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$2,300 /mo
Washington, DC overview →
â–¤ Full comparison
| Sydney, AU | Washington, DC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 128 | 132 |
| Housing | 162 | 175 |
| Food | 115 | 110 |
| Transport | 105 | 115 |
| Utilities | 110 | 104 |
| Healthcare | 95 | 106 |
| Goods & services | 120 | 118 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,200/mo | $2,300/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,650/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,200/mo | $4,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $12,000 | $8,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $784 | $759 |
| Inexpensive meal | $18 | $20 |
| Monthly transit pass | $130 | $100 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 21% |
| Capital gains | — | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $3,900/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $2,600/mo | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $65,000 | $82,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 90 | 80 |
| Time zone | UTC+10 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 74 | 50 |
| Healthcare index | 85 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 30 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 90 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 78 | 77 |
| Public transport | 80 | 72 |
| Family-friendly | 76 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | — | $470/mo |
| Life expectancy | 83 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +23 °C | +2 °C |
| July avg | +13 °C | +27 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 236 | 203 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,210 mm | 1,000 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 3 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Australia vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Sydney cheaper than Washington?
Washington is about 3% more expensive than Sydney overall — its cost-of-living index is 132 versus 128 for Sydney.
How much do you need to earn in Washington to live like in Sydney?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Sydney is worth about $77,433 in Washington. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Sydney or Washington?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 45% in Australia.
â—· More comparisons from Sydney
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.