Sydney is one of the most iconic cities in the world – famous for its Opera House, Harbour Bridge and stunning beaches. But Australia’s biggest city is also one of the most expensive! Don’t worry – with the right tips, you can enjoy Sydney without breaking the bank. Here’s a complete guide to exploring Sydney on a budget, packed with money-saving hacks, free things to do, and insider travel advice.
Table of Contents
Budget Accommodation in Sydney
Hostels
Sydney offers a wide range of hostels that cater to budget travelers. Many hostels are located in prime areas, providing easy access to major attractions. Some popular budget-friendly hostels include:
- Wake Up! Sydney: Located near Central Station, offering clean facilities and social activities.
- Sydney Harbour YHA: Situated in The Rocks with stunning views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Work for Accommodation
Many hostels offer free accommodation in exchange for a few hours of work per week as a housekeeper, barman or receptionist for example.
Working in a hostel may not be your dream job, but it can give you free accommodation and help you meet other travellers from all over the world!
Couchsurfing and House Sitting
For the ultimate budget option, try Couchsurfing, where locals offer free accommodation to travelers.
House sitting is another option, where you stay in someone’s home while they are away in exchange for looking after the property or pets.
Getting Around Sydney Cheaply
Public transport
Public transport in Sydney (trains, buses, ferries, light rail) works with an Opal card. Daily travel is capped at AUD $17.80 (lower on weekends – only $8.90 on Saturdays and Sundays). That means you can travel all day and never pay more than the cap.
Opal Card: Purchase an Opal card for discounted fares on trains, buses, ferries, and light rail. Students benefit from reduced fares on all public transport. The city sometimes has free travel periods (trials), check the official website HERE.
Walking and Cycling: Many of Sydney’s attractions are within walking distance of each other. Additionally, Sydney has numerous bike rental options and cycling paths.
⛴ Ferry Hack: Take the public ferry to Manly instead of paying for a tourist cruise. You’ll get stunning views of the harbour for a fraction of the cost.
Car rental
For those who love to drive, Sydney also offers daily car hire. At Budget, you’ll get away with about $100 a day without insurance, while No Birds Car Hire offers deals at $40 a day for a 7-day rental. Use an online comparator to get the better deals:
Renting a campervan
If you are planning on exploring the surroundings, rent a campervan so you won’t have to pay for accommodations!
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Free & Cheap Things to Do in Sydney
Many of Sydney’s top attractions are free:
- Sydney Opera House: Take a stroll around the exterior and enjoy the views.
- Royal Botanic Garden: A beautiful spot for a picnic with views of the harbour.
- Coastal Walks: The famous Bondi to Coogee walk is a must. Other great walks include Manly to Spit Bridge and Watsons Bay.
- Art Galleries and Museums: The Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia offer free entry to their permanent collections. Also check out the Nicholson Museum at Sydney University, the Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour (free on the first Thursday of the month), the Rocks Discovery Museum, the Art Gallery of NSW or the Contemporary Art Museum. In addition, it’s easy to find free exhibitions all over the city.
- Free Guided Tours: Several times a week, organisations offer free guided tours of the city. This is an opportunity to discover or rediscover Sydney and to meet new people. At the end of the tour, you are free to leave a tip or not for the quality of the explanations received.
- Markets: Check out Paddy’s Market for cheap souvenirs and Chinatown’s Friday Night Market for delicious affordable eats.
🌊 Sydney’s beaches are world-famous and completely free to visit. Bondi, Manly, and Bronte are just a few of the beautiful beaches where you can spend a day sunbathing, swimming, and surfing.
Entertainment
Free Events and Festivals
Sydney hosts numerous free events and festivals throughout the year. Check out the City of Sydney’s website for the latest information on upcoming events. The Darling Harbour fireworks on Saturday night or the fiery juggling show in Glebe once a month.
Also read: Festivals and Events in Australia
Live Music and Performances
Many bars and cafes offer free live music. Newtown and Surry Hills are great areas to find free gigs and performances.
For the gentlemen among you, you can dare to dress up as a woman on Tuesday to get some free drinks in the bars doing the ladies night. Also worth noting the promoters on the street; they don’t all want to sell something, some just offer you free drinks to attract people to their bars.
Exercise on a Budget
Here, sport is religious and there is no shortage of opportunities to let off steam for free. Most buildings here have free gyms and pools. Sydney’s sports facilities are everywhere, both indoors and outdoors!
Indoor
You can easily find a gym for about fifteen dollars a week. Still too expensive? Many gyms offer a free trial week, so there’s nothing to stop you trying a different gym each week! Let’s not forget sponsorship, which allows you to get discounts off some gyms or other health facilities.
Don’t hesitate to ask around at hostels near you. Some offer free sports classes. For example, the Sydney Harbour YHA runs free yoga classes every Monday morning.
Outdoors
Not into the gym? Wherever you are in the city, you can find a place to run: Hyde Park, Bondi Beach, Centennial Park, Mosman or Ruschutters Bay, there’s no shortage of open spaces here.
You can choose from one of Sydney’s many beaches for a little swimming, beach volleyball or even a little surfing in classic Aussie style.
For swimming fans, the Maccalum Pool at Cremorne Point is free!
Getting around by bike is still a good way to get your exercise in while saving time. Bike club offers you to come and repair used bikes, and then you get to leave with them for free. The centre is open 2 days a week at the end of the day.
Finally, there are many scenic walks that allow you to enjoy the city and its beautiful views: the Bondi to Coogee walk, the Manly tour, a tour of the Botanic Gardens, etc.
Getting your RSA with a Discount
If you are looking for a job in a bar or restaurant in Sydney, you should know that it is mandatory to get the RSA. This is a certificate that allows you to work in establishments where alcohol is served. You can take the RSA after a short online course through EOT.
🍹 Get your RSA in Australia (with special discounts!)
Pay less for your RSA course (Responsible Service of Alcohol). With this certificate, you are allowed to work in all places where alcohol is served or sold.
Eating & Drinking on a Budget
Weekday specials & Happy Hours
It’s common to offer deals on days of the week when there are fewer customers. For example, at Scubar in Central, it’s all-you-can-eat pizza for $10 on Monday for student nights, while watching a crab race. Almost every bar has deals like this, just look around.
Happy Hour Deals: Pubs often have AUD $5–7 beers during happy hours (usually late afternoon).
Cheap Tuesday
Many restaurants of all kinds play the discount game on Tuesdays. The most famous are Domino’s with $6 pizzas or Hungry Jack’s with a free 2nd burger. With a bit more budget, you can even have a real meal for about ten dollars. Indeed, in Sydney, many pubs offer a meal for between $8 and $12 for a very good steak and mash or fish and chips. Concrete Playground makes it easy for us to eat out on a budget Monday to Sunday.
Shopping on the cheap
If you prefer to eat at home, here are some options. In hostels, you will often see some very cheap meals. For example, some people will eat Chinese noodles and tuna cans (or even use free rice from the hostel) to break records for meals under $1. If you’re a bit more of a cook, you can head to Paddy’s market, at the entrance to Chinatown. This one is famous for its competitively priced fruit, vegetables and eggs.
You should also consider the discount sections when shopping. Coles and Woolworths offer discounted products as the expiry date approaches. This is a good way to shop on a budget. There are also discount supermarkets where you can buy food for less, such as Aldi, which is located in Sydney’s south.
Other tips
BYO Restaurants: Many Asian restaurants allow you to “Bring Your Own” wine or beer – much cheaper than buying drinks there.
Picnics: Grab groceries from Coles, Woolworths or Aldi and have a picnic at the beach or in a park with world-class views.
Shopping
Check Gumtree, the Australian’s classifieds site. The classifieds site has a reputation for being a great place to find everything at any price! You can also visit Marketplace on Facebook, with lots of second-hand clothes, objects and shoes!
The markets
For fun, don’t hesitate to visit markets such as Glebe or Paddy’s market, which sell clothes and accessories at low prices. You can also visit the outlet stores around the city, which offer factory prices.
Second Hand Shops
For the useful, you can go to Salvation Army or Red Cross where you can find camping equipment at bargain prices. And what’s more, you’re doing a good deed! You can also visit Vinnies, for clothes, kitchen accessories, camping gear, etc. And if you like second-hand clothes, the Newtown district is really the place to go for vintage lovers (clothes, accessories, souvenirs…).
In the streets
To furnish your accommodation, simply open your eyes: the streets of Sydney are full of all kinds of furniture that people leave in the street. You may also find clothes, shoes etc…
Free hairdresser
Just type “free haircut” into Gumtree or Marketplace and you’ll find ads galore for hairdresser apprentices who need models and will do everything for free. They may even offer colouring for a small fee. Salons also offer discounted rates when their apprentices are practicing on you. They are fully supervised so don’t worry!
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