Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bacolod and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacolod: $607 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $30,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bacolod
🇵🇭 Philippines
$607
/mo nomad
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,152
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bacolod and in Sydney

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bacolod and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $607 per month in Bacolod vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Bacolod $607
  • Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $885 per month in Bacolod vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Bacolod $885
  • Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $1,162 per month in Bacolod vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Bacolod $1,162
  • Sydney $6,268

Bacolod is about 81% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bacolod sits 55% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.34 ₱147
$17.57 A$25.29
-86.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$12.87 ₱810
$91.5 A$132
-85.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.03 ₱254
$11.96 A$17.21
-66.30%
Cappuccino
$2.46 ₱155
$4.07 A$5.85
-39.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 ₱43.96
$2.85 A$4.10
-75.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.38 ₱23.61
$2.25 A$3.24
-83.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.37 ₱86.3
$7.60 A$10.94
-81.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 ₱112
$7.43 A$10.69
-76.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 ₱101
$1.66 A$2.38
-3.01%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 ₱73.2
$2.78 A$4.00
-58.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.95 ₱60.0
$2.42 A$3.49
-60.74%
Eggs
$1.66 ₱105
$5.64 A$8.12
-70.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.92 ₱561
$11.71 A$16.85
-23.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.95 ₱437
$9.66 A$13.89
-28.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$16.75 A$24.10
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.37 ₱212
$4.07 A$5.85
-17.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.42 ₱152
$3.25 A$4.68
-25.54%
Oranges (1kg)
-
$3.44 A$4.96
-
Tomato (1kg)
$0.53 ₱33.60
$4.28 A$6.16
-87.62%
Potato (1kg)
-
$3.28 A$4.72
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 ₱126
$2.30 A$3.30
-13.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$2.30 A$3.31
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 ₱64.8
$1.21 A$1.74
-14.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.77 ₱175
$43.71 A$62.9
-93.66%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$13.88 A$19.97
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 ₱57.4
$3.90 A$5.62
-76.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.91 A$5.63
-
🚌 Getting Around
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 ₱11.18
$3.04 A$4.38
-94.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$150 A$216
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.61 ₱38.66
$3.38 A$4.86
-81.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.56 A$2.24
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$40.01 A$57.6
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 ₱80.5
$1.40 A$2.01
-8.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.1K ₱1.4M
$29.1K A$41.9K
-24.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K ₱1.5M
$30.1K A$43.4K
-20.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$137 ₱8,646
$223 A$320
-38.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.99 ₱503
$27.16 A$39.08
-70.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.20 ₱1,776
$55.8 A$80.3
-49.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.87 ₱999
$74.6 A$107
-78.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$2.44 ₱153
$23.99 A$34.52
-89.83%
Cinema Ticket
$4.37 ₱275
$17.56 A$25.27
-75.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$31.23 ₱1,966
$2,196 A$3,160
-98.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$28.2K A$40.6K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$78.4 A$113
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$68.4 A$98.5
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$111 A$160
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$134 A$193
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$267 ₱16.8K
$2,500 A$3,598
-89.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$178 ₱11.2K
$1,709 A$2,460
-89.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$475 ₱29.9K
$4,946 A$7,117
-90.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$347 ₱21.8K
$3,022 A$4,349
-88.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$13.2K A$18.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$8,370 A$12.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bacolod
Sydney
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$206 ₱13.0K
$4,113 A$5,919
-94.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.84
-

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bacolod: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bacolod
$178
Sydney
$1.7K 858% $1.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bacolod
$174
Sydney
$306 76.1% $132
Groceries & Markets
Bacolod
$155 *
Sydney
$379 145% $224
Eating Out
Bacolod
$75
Sydney
$299 298% $224
Sport & Entertainment
Bacolod
$25
Sydney
$110 346% $85
Getting Around
Bacolod
$1.3 *
Sydney
$174 13049% $172
Clothing & Footwear
Bacolod
- *
Sydney
$177

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $267 in Bacolod versus $2,500 in Sydney. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1896% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $379 – making Bacolod the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Bacolod
🇦🇺 Sydney
🕒 Local time
10:00 10:00 AM
13:00 1:00 PM
3 h ahead of Bacolod
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
561,875
4,840,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bacolod Sydney 5,780 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bacolod
  • Sydney

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Bacolod vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Bacolod and in Sydney compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $607 in Bacolod, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 419% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Bacolod compared to Sydney?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $911 per month in Bacolod and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Bacolod and Sydney?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bacolod, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $13.00 in Bacolod and $91.0 in Sydney. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 145% more in Sydney, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bacolod, where all-in costs run around $607, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Bacolod it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Bacolod and Sydney?
It depends on your priorities. Bacolod has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $607 in Bacolod to $3,152 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Bacolod or Sydney safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Bacolod and Sydney?
If budget matters most, go with Bacolod. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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