FIRE Number for Sydney, Australia

A tight but livable Sydney life in the outer west — a studio or older one-bedroom in Blacktown, Liverpool, or Auburn, where housing still takes the largest share of the budget in one of the world's costliest markets. The multicultural food in these suburbs is excellent and cheap, and the beaches and the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk cost nothing. Genuine private health cover is carried in place of Medicare, and the commute to the harbour or the eastern beaches is long — the main compromise at this level.

A nice one-bedroom in a desirable inner suburb — Newtown, Marrickville, Surry Hills, or Redfern — with regular dining at hatted restaurants, Opera House season tickets, and comprehensive private health insurance. Weekends run to the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley, or the South Coast, with occasional car rental. This is where Sydney starts to feel genuinely comfortable, with the harbour, beaches, and restaurants all within reach.

A luxury harbourside residence in Point Piper, Elizabeth Bay, or Vaucluse with the harbour at the doorstep, regular housekeeping, a driver when wanted, and first-class international travel. Concierge and international-plus-evacuation health cover, standing tables at any hatted restaurant, and platinum club and yacht access define the top of Sydney's market — one of the most expensive settings in this calculator, where the harbour and the outdoor life are the enduring rewards even as prime housing commands the largest single line.