Sovereign

Tech

Data Scientist Salary · Melbourne vs Sydney

Net pay, tax drag, and purchasing power modeled for 2025 offers. Built for relocating teams, expats, and comp committees.

Net pay

Melbourne

$130,033

31.6% effective rate

Net pay

Sydney

$175,348

36.4% effective rate

Annual delta

Spread

-$45,315

Sydney advantage

City

Melbourne

Australia’s cultural capital with a diverse economy spanning tech, arts, and logistics.

Median professional income

$96,000

Role modeled

Data Scientist

Gross base

$190,000

Net after tax

$130,033

Cost-of-living index

96

Rent index

87

City

Sydney

The financial heart of Oceania. High compensation roles in finance and law are common, matching a premium coastal lifestyle.

Median professional income

$119,500

Role modeled

Data Scientist

Gross base

$275,500

Net after tax

$175,348

Cost-of-living index

52

Rent index

72

Purchasing power

Net income vs lifestyle drag

Melbourne

$10,836

Housing$3,251
Essentials$2,167
Discretionary$2,709
Savings$2,709

Sydney

$14,612

Housing$4,384
Essentials$2,922
Discretionary$3,653
Savings$3,653

Cost-of-living deep dive

Flip into the COL template for this exact pair. See rent burdens, discretionary drift, and PPP commentary.

Open COL page

Remote benchmark

Need a borderless baseline? Run the remote analyzer across our tier-one city basket.

Remote comparison

More combinations

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Frequently asked

Who wins for Data Scientist net pay: Melbourne or Sydney?+
Sydney keeps about $45,315 more after tax (36.4% effective rate) compared to Melbourne (31.6%).
How different are the cost-of-living profiles?+
Melbourne posts a cost-of-living index of 96 and rent index of 87. Sydney comes in at 52 / 72. The purchasing power gap tightens once you factor in rent and lifestyle drift.
What salary uplift offsets Melbourne's taxes?+
You would need roughly $66,213 in additional gross compensation to match the same take-home pay in Sydney.