10 Things To Do in Sydney for $10 or Less

Budgets are tight in this town. But even if you’ve got a little less spending money this year, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Everything on this list costs a tenner or less – from $1 hotdogs to happy-hour lobster rolls and free outdoor cinemas – so there’s no reason not to enjoy our spectacular city on a budget.

Marvel at Soda Factory’s $1 hotdog deal

For more than a decade now, Surry Hills good-times bar and diner Soda Factory has been doing Sydneysiders (but maybe not its own bottom line) a solid, serving up $1 hotdogs. Its “dollar dogs” are available on Tuesday nights, when it hosts musical bingo. Plus, its happy hour (5pm to 7pm Tuesday to Thursday) involves $7 house beer, wine and spirits. On Wednesdays it also does $1 wings and $10 fried chicken burgers – and head along on Thursday nights, when DJs keep the dance floor thumping till late, with free entry.
sodafactory.com.au

Enjoy cocktails or lobster rolls at one of Sydney’s hottest bars

The Shell House development is a big-budget experience, but there are ways to enjoy its ground-floor Menzies Bar on a shoestring, if you know what time to arrive. From Monday to Saturday, 4pm to 6pm is Martini hour, with mini versions of the classic cocktail or lobster rolls for $10. If you want both, you’ll need to double the budget, or bring a mate.
shellhouse.com.au

Stay up late with Art After Hours at the Art Gallery of NSW

If an evening stroll around one of Australia’s most impressive art galleries sounds like your vibe, the Art Gallery of NSW lets you do just that – for free. Until 10pm every Wednesday, art-goers can browse the collections, see classic films, join workshops and catch live performances. Highlights include comedy curated by Soul of Chinatown, karaoke hosted by Rainbow Chan and Queer Art After Hours, a multidisciplinary celebration of queer culture in Sydney.
artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Eat $1.50 oysters at a suave bar and grill in town

We love a good cocktail happy hour, but oyster hour takes it one step further. Every Wednesday from 6pm to 7pm, slurp freshly shucked Sydney rock oysters at Morrison’s on George Street – they come either natural or with lemon or mignonette. Outside oyster hour, the menu boasts up to four sustainable mollusc varieties, sourced from around the country.
morrisons.sydney

Tackle an ambitious beachside trail

Nearly everyone has done the Bondi to Coogee walk. That spectacular and very approachable trail is famous with locals and out-of-towners alike. At 80 kilometres long, the Bondi to Manly walk is a more ambitious hike, but the variety of beautiful tracks and coastal views makes it well worth the trip. Take it slow over three days and bring your swimmers for a dip at the start, the finish and along the way.
bonditomanly.com

Check out Sydney Festival

Sydney Festival takes over the city throughout January – and organisers have included a litany of free events in this year's program. Twice a day, every day, trapeze artists will flip and fly around Darling Harbour, while at nearby pop-up Moonshine Bar there'll be 12 nights of free live music spanning Afrobeats, soul, funk and more. And on January 18 the annual Symphony Under the Stars – an entirely free performance by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – returns to Parramatta Park. Plus, there's a bunch of free exhibitions, artist takeovers and other events that'll cost you zilch.
sydneyfestival.org.au

Take a dip in a harbour or ocean pool

Whether it’s a rough rock pool fed by the crashing waves of the ocean or a more sedate, saltwater affair with a good view, Sydneysiders are spoilt for choice when it comes to swimming in harbour pools. For a bracing dip in a proper ocean pool, try Mahon Pool at Maroubra for free. Or, if you're happy to fork out a few bucks, the historic Wylie's Baths in Coogee will set you back just $6. Further west, you can splash in the charming heritage-listed Dawn Fraser baths in Balmain for just $6.90. Over the bridge in Cremorne, Maccallum Seawater Pool is free and oozes 1920s style.
randwick.nsw.gov.au; wylies.com.au; innerwest.nsw.gov.au; northsydney.nsw.gov.au

Check out a film for free at an outdoor cinema

There are lots of outstanding outdoor cinemas in Sydney – but The Rocks Laneway Cinema makes your choice easy by being free. Set in the quaint heritage square at Atherden Street, the buildings are decorated with festoon lights, and the Harbour Bridge peeks over the top of a sandstone building. What the square lacks in soft grass to sit on, it makes up for with beanbag chairs and deckchairs set up on the cobblestones. There are free screenings every Wednesday night until the end of March. Bring a picnic, grab a bucket of popcorn, or choose from myriad nearby eateries, and catch films such as Hot Fuzz, Clueless and Casper.
therocks.com

Do the happy hour rounds all over the city

There are venues doing happy hour every weekday in Sydney. Get $8 lager, wine and prosecco on weekdays at Bopp and Tone in the CBD; $10 pints at Corridor in Newtown on every night from 5pm to 7pm; and $10 wine and mini cocktails, and $7 beers, plus snacks for less than $10 from 5pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday at Love, Tilly Devine in Darlinghurst.
boppandtone.com.au
corridornewtown.com.au
lovetilldevine.com

Immerse yourself in an audiovisual art experience

Head into the depths of the AGNSW’s Tank gallery for a moving exhibition by one of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, Angelica Mesiti. Here, Mesiti turns her attention to the climate crisis and how it is upending rituals traditionally connected to the seasons, such as the festivals that mark the summer and winter solstices. Seven large-scale screens installed between the columns of the subterranean gallery reimagine these rituals and celebrations via a 34-minute film immersing visitors in carefully composed footage of landscapes, harvest festivals and choreographed music. It is all set to a soundscape synthesising vocal choruses, instrumentation and collective sound making. The result is a multisensory experience that takes full advantage of the singular gallery for which the exhibition was specifically commissioned.

This article was originally published on December 7, 2021, and updated on December 18, 2024.