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Travel budget

How much does a trip to Sydney cost?

What a trip to Sydney costs, worked out for your days and your party, with every price traced to where it comes from. And then the part most budgets skip: how to actually pay once you are there.

Food, getting around and sights in Sydney come to A$130–140 per person per day. Accommodation, flights and the airport transfer are on top. Prices reviewed: October 2026.

Full Sydney guide

Your trip

How much money you still need

Days, people and how you like to travel decide almost everything. Flights are left out: they depend on where you start.

6 nights

Counted at the child fares each operator publishes.

Travel style

Set meals and the odd sit-down dinner, and one paid sight a day.

Accommodation

We have no sample of hotel prices for this city yet, so we will not guess one. Type what you have seen and the lodging tax is worked out from it.

Adjust accommodation, food and the rest

In local currency. We do not estimate this: nobody knows what you will buy.

Already paid for

You still need, flights aside

A$1,900–2,100

≈ $1,300 – $1,500 · rate of October 6, 2026

A$130–150 per person per day · 7 days and 2 people

Expected
A$1,900–2,100
Most trips land in here
Set aside
A$2,100
With this you are unlikely to run short
Cushion, kept apart
A$200
10% of the trip
  • FoodA$660–840
  • Getting aroundA$180–270
  • Airport, both waysA$92.00–96.00
  • Sights and activitiesA$700–770
  • Nights outA$80–130
  • Lodging tax and odds and endsA$77.00–94.00

Of that, in cash: A$0–200

The cash share is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement. Your own bank may charge on top; this page cannot know that.

  • Accommodation is not in this figure. Add your price per night to include it.
  • Flights are not included.
  • You probably will not spend the cushion. Having it to hand covers a night you had not planned, a taxi, or a changed ticket.
Styles

What a day in Sydney costs, by how you travel

Per person per day, two travelling, without accommodation, flights or the airport transfer. A style is not a figure: it is a way of eating, getting around and seeing things, and each one is spelled out below.

Budget

A$70.00–96.00 per person per day

Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.

FoodLocal and cheap
A$24.00–49.00
Getting aroundPublic transport
A$13.00–19.00
Sights and activitiesThe odd paid sight
A$25.00–28.00
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
A$3.10–4.80

Mid-range

A$130–140 per person per day

Set meals and the odd sit-down dinner, and one paid sight a day.

FoodMixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
A$47.00–60.00
Getting aroundPublic transport
A$13.00–19.00
Sights and activitiesOne paid sight a day
A$50.00–55.00
Nights outNow and then
A$5.70–9.10
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
A$5.50–6.70

Comfort

A$210–230 per person per day

The best food level we can price, a taxi when it helps, two paid sights a day.

FoodRestaurants most of the time
A$67.00–84.00
Getting aroundPublic transport, and a taxi now and then
A$17.00–23.00
Sights and activitiesTwo paid sights a day
A$100–110
Nights outNow and then
A$5.70–9.10
Sundries: luggage storage, laundry, water
A$9.20–11.00

A style's total is not the sum of the extremes of its lines: nobody has a trip where everything comes out cheap, or everything dear. “Sundries” is an assumption of ours, 5% of food, transport and sights, not a measurement.

By length of trip

How much money for 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days in Sydney

Per person, two travelling together, without accommodation or flights. It is not the daily figure times the days: airport transfers are paid once, so they weigh less the longer you stay.

DaysBudgetMid-rangeComfort
3A$260–330
A$86–110 a day		A$430–480
A$140–160 a day		A$670–740
A$220–250 a day
5A$400–530
A$80–110 a day		A$680–750
A$140–150 a day		A$1,100–1,200
A$210–240 a day
7A$540–720
A$77–100 a day		A$940–1,100
A$130–150 a day		A$1,500–1,600
A$210–240 a day
10A$750–1,000
A$75–100 a day		A$1,300–1,500
A$130–150 a day		A$2,100–2,300
A$210–230 a day
14A$1,000–1,400
A$74.00–99.00 a day		A$1,800–2,100
A$130–150 a day		A$3,000–3,200
A$210–230 a day

Add your accommodation in the calculator above: it is the largest line and the one we cannot source yet.

Prices

What things cost in Sydney

Eating and drinking: no official statistic measures what eating out costs here, so these are prices from the menu each place publishes on its own website, and each row says where it comes from. It is a sample, not an average: there are cheaper and dearer places, and tourist areas cost more.

WhatPriceSource
Eating and drinking
Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street BakeryA$4.90From the source Oct 2026
Traditional Aussie beef pie, Bourke Street BakeryA$7.95From the source Oct 2026
Pork and fennel sausage roll, Bourke Street BakeryA$7.80From the source Oct 2026
Bacon and egg roll, Bourke Street BakeryA$9.00From the source Oct 2026
Roti canai with two curry dips, one piece, MamakA$11.50From the source Oct 2026
Nasi lemak (coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies and egg), MamakA$15.00From the source Oct 2026
Mee goreng (fried noodles with prawns and egg), MamakA$20.00From the source Oct 2026
Cheeseburger with chips, Fortune of WarA$24.00From the source Oct 2026
Beef burger with chips, The GlenmoreA$25.00From the source Oct 2026
Chicken schnitzel with chips and salad, The GlenmoreA$27.00From the source Oct 2026
Chicken schnitzel with chips and coleslaw, Fortune of WarA$28.00From the source Oct 2026
Fish and chips (battered flathead), Fortune of WarA$30.00From the source Oct 2026
Schooner of Balter beer, Hotel Sweeneys, every dayA$7.00From the source Oct 2026
Pint of 4 Pines beer, Hotel Sweeneys, every dayA$10.00From the source Oct 2026
Glass of house wine, 150 ml, Fortune of WarA$11.00From the source Oct 2026
Getting around
Bus or light rail, up to 3 km, peak (Opal card or contactless)A$3.30From the source Oct 2026
Train or metro, up to 10 km, peak (Opal card or contactless)A$4.33From the source Oct 2026
Opal daily cap, Monday to Thursday (Friday to Sunday: half)A$19.30From the source Oct 2026
Ferry, up to 9 km (Opal card or contactless)A$7.35From the source Oct 2026
Taxi, 4 km by day, not counting waiting timeA$15.61From the source Oct 2026
Train, airport to Central – Circular Quay, with the airport station fee (peak)A$22.94–23.99From the source Oct 2026
Taxi, airport to the CBD, flat fare per car (trial until 2027)A$60.00From the source Oct 2026
Sights
Taronga Zoo SydneyA$51.30From the source Oct 2026
Sydney Opera House Tour, 1 hour (booked ahead – on the day)A$50.00–55.00From the source Oct 2026

From the source means we read it where it is set: the operator, the bank, the city or the statistics office. Reported means a guide or the press says so and we have not seen the original. Where sources disagree we show both figures and leave the price out of every sum.

What each food level is made of

A food level is not a number we chose. It is two lists of dishes from the table above, a cheap day and a dear one, and the price is the sum.

Bare minimum: convenience stores and counters
From Traditional Aussie beef pie, Bourke Street Bakery + Pork and fennel sausage roll, Bourke Street Bakery (A$15.75) to Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street Bakery + Bacon and egg roll, Bourke Street Bakery + Nasi lemak (coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies and egg), Mamak (A$28.90).
Local and cheap
From Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street Bakery + Traditional Aussie beef pie, Bourke Street Bakery + Roti canai with two curry dips, one piece, Mamak (A$24.35) to Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street Bakery + Bacon and egg roll, Bourke Street Bakery + Nasi lemak (coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies and egg), Mamak + Mee goreng (fried noodles with prawns and egg), Mamak (A$48.90).
Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner
From Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street Bakery + Traditional Aussie beef pie, Bourke Street Bakery + Cheeseburger with chips, Fortune of War + Pint of 4 Pines beer, Hotel Sweeneys, every day (A$46.85) to Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street Bakery + Nasi lemak (coconut rice with sambal, peanuts, anchovies and egg), Mamak + Fish and chips (battered flathead), Fortune of War + Pint of 4 Pines beer, Hotel Sweeneys, every day (A$59.90).
Restaurants most of the time
From Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street Bakery + Beef burger with chips, The Glenmore + Chicken schnitzel with chips and salad, The Glenmore + Pint of 4 Pines beer, Hotel Sweeneys, every day (A$66.90) to Flat white, regular, takeaway, Bourke Street Bakery + Chicken schnitzel with chips and coleslaw, Fortune of War + Fish and chips (battered flathead), Fortune of War + Pint of 4 Pines beer, Hotel Sweeneys, every day + Glass of house wine, 150 ml, Fortune of War (A$83.90).
Getting around

The most a day of public transport costs

  • Pay by contactless and a day of public transport never costs more than A$19.30: the cap applies by itself, with nothing to buy.
Accommodation

What the night costs, and the tax on top

There is no open source of hotel prices, and we have not sampled this city yet. So the calculator asks you for the price you have seen instead of printing one that looks plausible.

Lodging tax

No lodging tax is charged here. From the source Oct 2026

Which area to stay in Sydney: the neighbourhood comparison

Saving

What saves money in Sydney

Each line is a subtraction done with the prices on this page. No tricks: just the sum.

What saves

  • Eating “Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner” instead of “Restaurants most of the time”: A$20.00–24.00 less per person per day.
  • Eating “Local and cheap” instead of “Mixed: set meals and one sit-down dinner”: A$11.00–23.00 less per person per day.
  • Eating “Bare minimum: convenience stores and counters” instead of “Local and cheap”: A$8.60–20.00 less per person per day.
  • “Traditional Aussie beef pie, Bourke Street Bakery” (A$7.95) instead of “Chicken schnitzel with chips and salad, The Glenmore” (A$27.00): A$19.05 less each time.
Questions

Questions about money in Sydney

How much money do you need for a week in Sydney?

For seven days, A$940–1,100 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.

How much money do you need for 3 days in Sydney?

For 3 days, A$430–480 per person on the “Mid-range” style with two travelling. Accommodation and flights are not included. The airport transfer, there and back, is included.

What is a realistic daily budget in Sydney?

Per person per day, without accommodation or flights: A$70.00–96.00 on the “Budget” style, A$130–140 on the “Mid-range” style, and A$210–230 on the “Comfort” style.

Can you travel to Sydney on a budget?

The cheapest style we work out is “Budget”: A$70.00–96.00 per person per day, without accommodation or flights. Local food, public transport, the odd paid sight.

How much does food cost in Sydney?

From A$16.00 per person per day (“Bare minimum: convenience stores and counters”) to A$84.00 (“Restaurants most of the time”). The price table has what each dish costs.

How much does transport cost in Sydney?

A ride on public transport costs A$3.30–4.33. “Taxi, 4 km by day, not counting waiting time”: A$15.61. Pay by contactless and a day of public transport never costs more than A$19.30: the cap applies by itself, with nothing to buy.

Is there a lodging tax in Sydney?

None on record as of October 2026.

How much cash should you carry in Sydney?

For a week on the “Mid-range” style, about A$0–100 per person, two travelling. It is our reading of how each kind of place takes payment, not a measurement.

Is it better to use cash or card in Sydney?

By card: in general.

Do you tip in Sydney?

Restaurants: optional. Hotels: optional.

Sources

Where every figure comes from

Each price on this page carries its source. These are all of them. Prices reviewed: October 2026.

The rest of Sydney

In the app

This page tells you how much to take. The app keeps count of what you spend.

Joru works out the budget of your itinerary day by day and sets it against what you actually spend, by category and with the exchange rate. On your phone, with no account.

Google PlayApp Store

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