Comfortable Weather
#13
of 124 cities
87/100 weather score
Current value
#64 of 124
Oceania
Sydney
Australia
Salary & Cost of Living
How do salaries and expenses in Sydney compare to Chicago?
Purchasing Power Comparison
An engineer in Sydney is 24% worse off vs in Chicago
This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Sydney compared to Chicago, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.
Net Salary
$76,841
-$20K (-20%) vs Chicago
Tax Rate: 29%
Community Insights
New7.2/10
Sydney presents a polarized experience for software engineers: it offers a tier-one lifestyle with incredible weather, safety, and natural beauty, but demands a premium price tag. The data reflects this trade-off, with high salaries ($103k median) partially offset by a Cost of Living rank of 101/124. Residents love the work-life balance but frequently vent about the housing affordability crisis, which forces many to compromise on commute times or savings.
Socially, the city is welcoming but professional integration can be tricky due to a preference for local experience. Once established, however, the combination of career stability and an outdoor-centric life is hard to beat. It is a city where you work to live, rather than live to work.
The Good
Rankings
Top 10%
Pollution Score
#21
of 124 cities
28.7/100
Current value (lower is better)
Safety Index
#38
of 124 cities
66.1/100
Current value
Housing Affordability
How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Sydney compared to Chicago?
Avg. Property Price
$9,838 / m²
204% more expensive than Chicago
Salary Converter
Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Sydney to maintain the same standard of living.
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