Living in Sydney

In Sydney, the median rent tenants pay is €1,307 a month (2021) and unemployment is 4.2% (2026).

In March 2026, the unemployment rate was 4.2%. Foreign-born residents accounted for 40.6% of the population in 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0713 sources

Population4,858,605people30 Jun 2021Official source · ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas

Median gross salary (region)2,409EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Median rent1,307EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02

Unemployment rate4.2%country median 4.5% — 7% belowIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

PM2.5, annual mean7.29µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · data.airquality.nsw.gov.au

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Sydney?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Sydney.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$475 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$2,500 in August 2021.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1579

Transport pass€140

Utilities, 85 m² flat€126

Fitness club€54

Internet, 60 Mbps€48

Mobile plan, 10 GB€21

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	54.3 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	47.84 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,579 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.83 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	20.84 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Sydney. Jul 2026. Prices in Sydney¹⁰Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	139.5 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	125.8 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹²Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	1,826,814 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Main residence dwellings	1,678,712 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median weekly rent (AUD)	475 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly rent	1,307 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02¹Official
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,307 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02¹Official

Is Sydney a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker34%strong on work, weak on safety · range 24–44%

Skilled employee61%strong on work, weak on safety · range 53–69%

Student34%strong on education, weak on safety · range 26–42%

Family54%strong on family, weak on safety · range 45–63%

Retirement33%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 20–46%

Work and income

Median personal income was A$896 per week in August 2021. Median household income was A$2,119 per week in August 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Sydney?

The unemployment rate is 4.2 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹¹

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Sydney is 4.2%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Sydney 4.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
People in full-time employment	1,327,727 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Employment rate	57.2 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median household income (AUD/week)	2,119 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median personal income (AUD/week)	896 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,409 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁹Official
Average net monthly salary	3,582 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/au/sydney/¹³Community estimate · Supplemental context
Unemployment rate	4.2 %country median 4.5%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹¹Independent

What does a salary buy in Sydney?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€0of €0 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	outside the model's range
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Census General Community Profile, SUA, G02 · 2021-12-31	− €1,307
Public transport pass€140 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €140
Utilities, 85 m²€126 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €126
Internet€48 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €48
Mobile plan€21 · market price · Cost of Living in Sydney. Jul 2026. Prices in Sydney · 2026-07-31	− €21
Left over	—

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Sydney Salary needed to live in Sydney

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sydney. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Sydney. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Aug 2026	Official public language-service provider/location register⁶Official
People who speak a language other than English at home	39.95 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

Language courses and integration in Sydney

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

1publicly funded course provider

Settlement Services International

View official record

Check courses in Sydney How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Sydney

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Sydney?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 7.29 µg/m³ · data.airquality.nsw.gov.au⁴

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

28°20°

27°20°

26°18°

23°15°

21°12°

18°10°

18°9°

19°9°

22°12°

24°14°

25°17°

26°18°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

118

124

JFMAMJJASOND

Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours

JFMAMJJASOND

hours

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.57.3WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Sydney is 7.3 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Sydney 7.3

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	7.29 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	data.airquality.nsw.gov.au⁴Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by month	Jan 27.7 · Feb 27.1 · Mar 25.8 · Apr 23.4 · May 20.6 · Jun 18.1 · Jul 17.7 · Aug 19.1 · Sep 21.7 · Oct 23.6 · Nov 24.7 · Dec 26.4 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — SYDNEY AIRPORT AMO, 1991-2020³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 20 · Feb 19.9 · Mar 18.5 · Apr 15.2 · May 12.1 · Jun 9.8 · Jul 8.6 · Aug 9.3 · Sep 12 · Oct 14.4 · Nov 16.5 · Dec 18.4 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — SYDNEY AIRPORT AMO, 1991-2020³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan 23.7 · Feb 23.8 · Mar 22.4 · Apr 19.7 · May 16.9 · Jun 14.2 · Jul 13.6 · Aug 14.7 · Sep 17.1 · Oct 19.1 · Nov 20.8 · Dec 22.5 °C	1991–2020	WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station SYDNEY OBSERVATORY HILL⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by month	Jan 80.7 · Feb 117.7 · Mar 96.5 · Apr 96 · May 90 · Jun 124.3 · Jul 71.4 · Aug 63.4 · Sep 58.1 · Oct 55.8 · Nov 71.2 · Dec 67.3 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — SYDNEY AIRPORT AMO, 1991-2020³Official
Average sunshine by month	Jan 7.5 · Feb 7.1 · Mar 6.8 · Apr 7.1 · May 6.6 · Jun 5.7 · Jul 6.7 · Aug 8 · Sep 8.1 · Oct 7.9 · Nov 7.5 · Dec 7.6 hours	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — SYDNEY AIRPORT AMO, 1991-2020³Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 4,196.8 km² in 2021. Population density was 1,243.7 people per km² in 2025.

How many people live in Sydney?

The published population was 4,858,605 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport59.7%
Foreign residents40.3%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	4,197 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁵Official
Foreign-resident share	40.55 %	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Foreign residents	1,958,673 people	31 Dec 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Population density	1,244 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁷Official · significant urban area
Female residents	2,440,022 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Male residents	2,390,019 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Population	4,858,605 people	30 Jun 2021	ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

3,650,818

4,212,507

4,774,197

5,335,886

5,219,674200120052011201520212025

Population rose 38.6% between 2001 and 2025, from 3,767,030 to 5,219,674.

International community in Sydney

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	4,830,047	100.0%
Australia	2,652,310	54.9%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	1,958,674	40.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	4,830,047	100.0%
Australia	2,652,310	54.9%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	236,276	4.9%
Country of birth not stated	219,064	4.5%
Born elsewhere(d)	211,879	4.4%
India	185,340	3.8%
England	135,194	2.8%
Vietnam	93,287	1.9%
Philippines	88,684	1.8%
New Zealand	79,026	1.6%
Lebanon	61,258	1.3%

Show 42 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Nepal	58,514	1.2%
Iraq	52,512	1.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	49,872	1.0%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	45,795	0.9%
Italy	37,629	0.8%
South Africa	37,279	0.8%
Indonesia	34,852	0.7%
Malaysia	34,440	0.7%
Fiji	33,709	0.7%
Pakistan	30,809	0.6%
Sri Lanka	28,453	0.6%
Bangladesh	27,717	0.6%
Greece	26,583	0.6%
Iran	25,800	0.5%
Thailand	25,399	0.5%
United States of America	24,470	0.5%
Ireland	21,063	0.4%
Egypt	19,222	0.4%
Brazil	17,946	0.4%
Germany	16,397	0.3%
Scotland	15,344	0.3%
Afghanistan	13,919	0.3%
Turkey	13,665	0.3%
Cambodia	13,134	0.3%
Singapore	12,931	0.3%
Taiwan	12,930	0.3%
Japan	12,571	0.3%
Croatia	12,509	0.3%
Chile	11,763	0.2%
North Macedonia	11,670	0.2%
Poland	11,198	0.2%
Malta	10,524	0.2%
France	10,399	0.2%
Canada	9,744	0.2%
Samoa	9,208	0.2%
Netherlands	7,621	0.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	6,637	0.1%
Myanmar	6,329	0.1%
Mauritius	5,015	0.1%
Zimbabwe	4,826	0.1%
Wales	4,146	0.1%
Papua New Guinea	3,203	0.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	4,830,047	100.0%
Australian citizen	3,865,391	80.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	40.55 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Households	1,678,712 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Labour force participation rate	60.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Median age	37 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official
Median monthly mortgage repayment (AUD)	2,500 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia¹Official

Alternatives for people set on Sydney

Nothing here reaches an argued comparison yet: no other published city shares enough metrics with Sydney from the same source, period and grain. What is collected is below.

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Sydney, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Melbourne4,874,520 residents Brisbane2,487,568 residents Perth2,098,239 residents Adelaide1,368,209 residents Gold Coast701,928 residents Newcastle510,175 residents

How does Sydney compare?

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Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sydney when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Sydney's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Sydney?

The published population was 4,858,605 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas.

Is the air quality good in Sydney?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 7.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: data.airquality.nsw.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Sydney?

The unemployment rate is 4.2 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

What is the typical salary around Sydney?

The median gross salary is 2,409 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

How many foreign residents live in Sydney?

1,958,673 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How much is public transport in Sydney?

A monthly transport pass is 139.5 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Sydney a good place to live?

Sydney may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Sydney?

The official country of birth distribution records 2,652,310 people (54.9%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Sydney, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 26f2b726b5537f905138c2b1228ed10a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/sydney/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sydney-australia-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_37cd9f89370e,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sydney, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {26f2b726b5537f905138c2b1228ed10a},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/sydney/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Sydney, Australia: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/sydney/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 26f2b726b5537f905138c2b1228ed10a; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks — Significant Urban Areas, Australia 2021 Census General Community Profile DataPacks · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-25
ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas ABS Regional population, 2024-25 · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-19
BOM monthly climate statistics — SYDNEY AIRPORT AMO, 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
data.airquality.nsw.gov.au data.airquality.nsw.gov.au · checked 2026-08-26
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Official public language-service provider/location register immi.homeaffairs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-15
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station SYDNEY OBSERVATORY HILL WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Sydney. Jul 2026. Prices in Sydney numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27

Show 3 more sources

DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/au/sydney/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.