Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $30,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in El Nido vs $3,245 in Sydney, rent included.

El Nido $739
Sydney $3,245

A couple spends around $1,148 per month in El Nido vs $4,803 in Sydney, rent included.

El Nido $1,148
Sydney $4,803

A family of three spends $1,557 per month in El Nido vs $6,362 in Sydney, rent included.

El Nido $1,557
Sydney $6,362

El Nido is about 77% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Nido sits 45% below the global median, while Sydney is 139% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 ₱305

$17.41 A$25.05

-72.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.13 ₱1,771

$90.3 A$130

-68.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₱233

$11.92 A$17.15

-68.96%

Cappuccino

$2.25 ₱142

$4.03 A$5.80

-44.17%

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

$1.17 ₱73.8

$2.88 A$4.15

-59.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.45

$2.23 A$3.20

-85.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱81.8

$7.89 A$11.36

-83.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$6.78 A$9.76

-70.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.71 A$2.45

-7.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₱63.1

$2.94 A$4.23

-65.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$2.51 A$3.61

-48.61%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$5.55 A$7.99

-64.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 ₱336

$11.77 A$16.94

-54.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱250

$9.28 A$13.35

-57.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱439

$16.70 A$24.03

-58.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$3.92 A$5.64

-42.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.1

$3.16 A$4.55

-51.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$3.48 A$5.00

-35.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$4.38 A$6.31

-73.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$3.33 A$4.79

-41.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 ₱127

$2.40 A$3.46

-16.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$2.31 A$3.32

-60.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.65

$1.15 A$1.65

-53.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₱211

$44.34 A$63.8

-92.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₱456

$13.71 A$19.72

-47.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱62.9

$4.00 A$5.75

-75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱118

$4.03 A$5.80

-53.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.07

$3.22 A$4.63

-92.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.28 ₱648

$154 A$222

-93.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱53.8

$3.57 A$5.14

-76.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$1.58 A$2.27

-87.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₱108

$39.44 A$56.8

-95.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.3

$1.48 A$2.13

-11.49%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$29.6K A$42.5K

-35.09%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$27.7K A$39.8K

-21.93%

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

$121 ₱7,638

$241 A$347

-49.74%

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

$14.38 ₱906

$27.57 A$39.67

-47.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.44 ₱1,539

$56.3 A$81.0

-56.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 ₱2,197

$78.1 A$112

-55.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.99 ₱251

$23.26 A$33.47

-82.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 ₱329

$17.55 A$25.26

-70.20%

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

$124 ₱7,818

$2,185 A$3,144

-94.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,869 ₱432.4K

$27.8K A$40.0K

-75.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.86 ₱2,132

$80.0 A$115

-57.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.81 ₱1,185

$70.7 A$102

-73.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 ₱4,211

$111 A$159

-39.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.95 ₱3,145

$129 A$186

-61.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$2,477 A$3,564

-89.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.2K

$1,777 A$2,557

-90.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₱33.7K

$4,885 A$7,030

-89.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$3,093 A$4,451

-88.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 ₱164.1K

$13.4K A$19.3K

-80.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 ₱56.7K

$8,375 A$12.1K

-89.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 ₱16.2K

$4,074 A$5,862

-93.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.92

14.70%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$177 24%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8% 903% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$174 23.6%

Sydney

$378 11.7% 117% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$160 21.7%

Sydney

$325 10% 103% $165

Eating Out

El Nido

$93 12.6%

Sydney

$297 9.2% 218% $204

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$76 10.3%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 131% $100

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$45 6.1%

Sydney

$113 3.5% 150% $68

Getting Around

El Nido

$13 1.8%

Sydney

$178 5.5% 1263% $165

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in El Nido versus $2,477 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 1487% 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 $28.00 in El Nido versus $90.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $378 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

07:44 7:44 AM

3 h ahead of El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

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 20, 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 20, 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

El Nido Sydney 6,030 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

El Nido
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

El Nido vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $739 in El Nido, $3,245 in Sydney – roughly 339% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in El Nido and $4,867 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 1399% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $124 per month in El Nido and $2,185 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Sydney at $3,245. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Nido – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with El Nido. 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.