AU flag
Darwin

Australia

vs
AU flag
Sydney

Australia

Climate

Darwin logs 5 outdoor-dinner months a year to Sydney's 2 — Darwin wins by 3. Darwin also leads on sunny days by 52.

DarwinSydney
Sunny days
298246
Hot days
3300
Frost days
00
Rain days
159156
Outdoor dinner months
5/122/12
Avg wind
2.7 m/s4.7 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,0102,640
Darkest month sun
147 hrs/mo181 hrs/mo
UV peak month
11.79.4

Darwin

Feels-like °C

32
31
33
33
30
29
28
31
33
35
36
34

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Sydney

Feels-like °C

26
25
21
19
12
10
9
13
16
19
22
23

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Darwin is $943/mo cheaper

Darwin runs about $2,698/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Sydney's $3,641/mo — Darwin comes in $943 cheaper each month, roughly 35% less.

Darwin

$2,698

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,055Comfort $4,295
Top 70%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Sydney

$3,641

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $2,852Comfort $5,821
Top 100%in Among 23 Oceania cities

Mobility

On mobility, Sydney scores 2.8 vs Darwin's 1.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public transit. Darwin still holds an edge on car efficiency.

1.8/5
vs
2.8/5
DarwinSydney
Car EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport
TransitFlights
Sydney leads

Culture

Sydney's culture score of 4.0 sits well above Darwin's 1.3, with the biggest gap on theatre & performing arts.

1.3/5
vs
4.0/5
DarwinSydney
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
Sydney leads

Nature & Outdoors

Sydney's nature & outdoors score of 4.7 sits well above Darwin's 3.5, with the biggest gap on forest access.

3.5/5
vs
4.7/5
DarwinSydney
SeaGreen AreasLakesRunningCampingBeachDiving
SeaForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
Sydney leads

Safety

Sydney's safety score of 3.5 sits well above Darwin's 3.3, with the biggest gap on road safety. Darwin still holds an edge on wildfire safety.

3.3/5
vs
3.5/5
DarwinSydney
WildfireFlooding
WildfireFlooding
Sydney leads

Career

Sydney's career score of 4.2 sits well above Darwin's 1.6, with the biggest gap on economic scale.

1.6/5
vs
4.2/5
DarwinSydney
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Sydney leads

Social & Community

Sydney's social & community score of 4.1 sits well above Darwin's 3.6, with the biggest gap on expat-first community. Darwin still holds an edge on expat integration experience.

3.6/5
vs
4.1/5
DarwinSydney
Everyday EnglishMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration FriendlinessAdmin English Support
Sydney leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Sydney scores 4.6 vs Darwin's 1.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability.

1.6/5
vs
4.6/5
DarwinSydney
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Sydney leads

Family

On family, Sydney scores 4.1 vs Darwin's 1.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on universities.

1.4/5
vs
4.1/5
DarwinSydney
Groceries
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Sydney leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Sydney scores 3.7 vs Darwin's 1.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on public healthcare quality.

1.7/5
vs
3.7/5
DarwinSydney
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Sydney leads

Air Quality

Darwin averages 9.7 µg/m³ (good) PM2.5 annually versus Sydney's 5.6 µg/m³ (good) — Sydney breathes ~42% cleaner air (4.0 µg/m³ lower).

Darwin

Sydney

9.7µg/m³
5.6µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Good
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Darwin (147K) and Sydney (4.4M) are 30x in population — Sydney is the larger metro, Darwin the smaller.

30x

Sydney is roughly 30x the scale of Darwin

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

AU flagSydney
30x
AU flagDarwin
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.AU flagSydney4.4M30x
2.AU flagDarwin147K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Darwin vs Sydney

Which is cheaper, Darwin or Sydney?
Darwin is approximately $943 per month cheaper. Darwin averages $2,698/mo while Sydney averages $3,641/mo.
How does the climate compare between Darwin and Sydney?
Sunny days: 298 vs 246 d — Darwin higher Annual sunshine: 3,010 vs 2,640 hrs — Darwin higher Winter sunshine: 147 vs 181 hrs/day — Sydney higher Hot days (>30°C): 330 vs 0 d — Sydney lower Frost days: 0 vs 0 d — Similar Rainy days: 159 vs 156 d — Similar
Is Darwin or Sydney safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 3.3/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to Darwin or Sydney?
Darwin and Sydney are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Darwin is generally more affordable, while Sydney may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Darwin and Sydney stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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