Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Davao and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Davao: $794 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Davao
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Davao Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Davao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$794

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Davao 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 Davao and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $794 in Davao versus $3,152 in Sydney.

Davao $794
Sydney $3,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,225 in Davao versus $4,710 in Sydney.

Davao $1,225
Sydney $4,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,656 in Davao versus $6,268 in Sydney.

Davao $1,656
Sydney $6,268

Living in Davao costs roughly 75% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Davao is 41% below, Sydney is 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.81 ₱303

$17.57 A$25.29

-72.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.69 ₱1,681

$91.5 A$132

-70.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 ₱248

$11.96 A$17.21

-67.06%

Cappuccino

$2.71 ₱170

$4.07 A$5.85

-33.42%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₱65.3

$2.85 A$4.10

-63.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.97

$2.25 A$3.24

-69.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 ₱102

$7.60 A$10.94

-78.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 ₱147

$7.43 A$10.69

-68.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 ₱126

$1.66 A$2.38

21.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ₱71.0

$2.78 A$4.00

-59.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ₱58.4

$2.42 A$3.49

-61.57%

Eggs

$1.88 ₱119

$5.64 A$8.12

-66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 ₱411

$11.71 A$16.85

-44.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 ₱306

$9.66 A$13.89

-49.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.18 ₱578

$16.75 A$24.10

-45.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ₱170

$4.07 A$5.85

-33.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 ₱69.3

$3.25 A$4.68

-66.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 ₱148

$3.44 A$4.96

-31.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ₱72.6

$4.28 A$6.16

-73.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 ₱127

$3.28 A$4.72

-38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.53 ₱222

$2.30 A$3.30

53.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₱76.1

$2.30 A$3.31

-47.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ₱42.61

$1.21 A$1.74

-43.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₱152

$43.71 A$62.9

-94.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 ₱489

$13.88 A$19.97

-44.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ₱78.2

$3.90 A$5.62

-68.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ₱106

$3.91 A$5.63

-57.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 ₱21.73

$3.04 A$4.38

-88.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.58 ₱855

$150 A$216

-90.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₱51.2

$3.38 A$4.86

-76.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.41

$1.56 A$2.24

-85.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 ₱123

$40.01 A$57.6

-95.13%

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)

$21.1K ₱1.3M

$29.1K A$41.9K

-27.64%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.9K ₱1.2M

$30.1K A$43.4K

-37.24%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$106 ₱6,688

$223 A$320

-52.28%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.39 ₱1,221

$27.16 A$39.08

-28.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.90 ₱2,009

$55.8 A$80.3

-42.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.90 ₱2,135

$74.6 A$107

-54.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.61 ₱228

$23.99 A$34.52

-84.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 ₱296

$17.56 A$25.27

-73.23%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$107 ₱6,766

$2,196 A$3,160

-95.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,555 ₱475.7K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-73.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 ₱3,852

$78.4 A$113

-21.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.84 ₱1,942

$68.4 A$98.5

-54.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.5 ₱4,502

$111 A$160

-35.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 ₱3,935

$134 A$193

-53.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 ₱17.6K

$2,500 A$3,598

-88.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 ₱10.8K

$1,709 A$2,460

-89.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₱39.6K

$4,946 A$7,117

-87.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ₱20.1K

$3,022 A$4,349

-89.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,640 ₱103.2K

$13.2K A$18.9K

-87.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,429 ₱90.0K

$8,370 A$12.0K

-82.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$214 ₱13.5K

$4,113 A$5,919

-94.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.31

5.84

42.29%

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

Last update for Davao: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Davao

$200 25.2%

Sydney

$379 12% 88.8% $178

Accommodation & Living

Davao

$172 21.6%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 895% $1.5K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Davao

$158 19.8%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 94% $148

Eating Out

Davao

$102 12.9%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 191% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Davao

$102 12.8%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 73.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Davao

$43 5.5%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 153% $66

Getting Around

Davao

$17 2.1%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 926% $157

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Davao and $2,500 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 1823% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $27.00 in Davao vs $91.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $379 per month, with Davao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Davao

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

03:02 3:02 AM

06:02 6:02 AM

3 h ahead of Davao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,632,991

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Davao Sydney 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Davao
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

Davao vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Davao is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 297% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1823% lower in Sydney. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $280 in Davao versus $2,500 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Davao – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $794 per month in Davao versus $3,152 in Sydney – a 297% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $794 in Davao versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Davao but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Davao the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Davao is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sydney, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Davao and Sydney are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Davao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 297% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.