Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iligan City and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Iligan City: $739 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Iligan City
🇵🇭 Philippines
$739
/mo nomad
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,152
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in Iligan City vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Iligan City $739
  • Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $1,126 per month in Iligan City vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Iligan City $1,126
  • Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $1,514 per month in Iligan City vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

  • Iligan City $1,514
  • Sydney $6,268

Iligan City is about 77% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Iligan City sits 45% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.99 ₱251
$17.57 A$25.29
-77.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.85 ₱1,124
$91.5 A$132
-80.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$2.74 ₱172
$11.96 A$17.21
-77.09%
Cappuccino
$2.26 ₱142
$4.07 A$5.85
-44.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 ₱42.01
$2.85 A$4.10
-76.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.34 ₱21.15
$2.25 A$3.24
-84.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.13 ₱71.1
$7.60 A$10.94
-85.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 ₱120
$7.43 A$10.69
-74.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 ₱129
$1.66 A$2.38
23.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 ₱72.8
$2.78 A$4.00
-58.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.90 ₱56.7
$2.42 A$3.49
-62.81%
Eggs
$1.93 ₱121
$5.64 A$8.12
-65.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.66 ₱357
$11.71 A$16.85
-51.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.21 ₱265
$9.66 A$13.89
-56.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.26 ₱457
$16.75 A$24.10
-56.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.42 ₱153
$4.07 A$5.85
-40.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 ₱97.2
$3.25 A$4.68
-52.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.34 ₱147
$3.44 A$4.96
-31.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.17 ₱73.7
$4.28 A$6.16
-72.66%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 ₱126
$3.28 A$4.72
-38.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 ₱121
$2.30 A$3.30
-16.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 ₱57.8
$2.30 A$3.31
-60.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.57 ₱35.82
$1.21 A$1.74
-52.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.97 ₱187
$43.71 A$62.9
-93.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.55 ₱476
$13.88 A$19.97
-45.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.96 ₱60.5
$3.90 A$5.62
-75.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 ₱126
$3.91 A$5.63
-48.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.26 ₱16.49
$3.04 A$4.38
-91.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.63 ₱795
$150 A$216
-91.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.85 ₱53.5
$3.38 A$4.86
-74.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.21 ₱13.33
$1.56 A$2.24
-86.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 ₱127
$40.01 A$57.6
-94.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 ₱73.6
$1.40 A$2.01
-16.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$29.1K A$41.9K
-27.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.8K ₱1.1M
$30.1K A$43.4K
-44.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$129 ₱8,095
$223 A$320
-42.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.31 ₱964
$27.16 A$39.08
-43.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.12 ₱1,519
$55.8 A$80.3
-56.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.95 ₱2,011
$74.6 A$107
-57.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.61 ₱290
$23.99 A$34.52
-80.78%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 ₱324
$17.56 A$25.27
-70.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$131 ₱8,241
$2,196 A$3,160
-94.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,881 ₱559.2K
$28.2K A$40.6K
-68.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.30 ₱2,097
$78.4 A$113
-57.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$18.10 ₱1,139
$68.4 A$98.5
-73.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.2 ₱4,422
$111 A$160
-36.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.70 ₱3,066
$134 A$193
-63.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$111 ₱6,985
$2,500 A$3,598
-95.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$172 ₱10.8K
$1,709 A$2,460
-89.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$515 ₱32.4K
$4,946 A$7,117
-89.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$357 ₱22.5K
$3,022 A$4,349
-88.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,600 ₱163.7K
$13.2K A$18.9K
-80.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$875 ₱55.1K
$8,370 A$12.0K
-89.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iligan City
Sydney
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$198 ₱12.5K
$4,113 A$5,919
-95.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.84
16.27%

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

Last update for Iligan City: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Iligan City
$184
Sydney
$379 106% $195
Accommodation & Living
Iligan City
$172
Sydney
$1.7K 895% $1.5K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iligan City
$168
Sydney
$306 81.9% $138
Eating Out
Iligan City
$81
Sydney
$299 270% $218
Clothing & Footwear
Iligan City
$77
Sydney
$177 130% $100
Sport & Entertainment
Iligan City
$42
Sydney
$110 160% $68
Getting Around
Iligan City
$16
Sydney
$174 1013% $158

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $111 in Iligan City 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 1979% 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 $18.00 in Iligan City versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $379 – making Iligan City the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Iligan City
🇦🇺 Sydney
🕒 Local time
10:03 10:03 AM
13:03 1:03 PM
3 h ahead of Iligan City
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
342,618
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
  • Iligan City Sydney 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iligan City
  • 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
Iligan City vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Iligan City and in Sydney compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $739 in Iligan City, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 327% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Iligan City compared to Sydney?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,108 per month in Iligan City 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 Iligan City and Sydney?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Iligan City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Iligan City and in Sydney?
Public transport costs about 1089% less in Iligan City. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Iligan City and Sydney?
Kindergarten costs $131 per month in Iligan City and $2,196 in Sydney. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Iligan City, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Iligan City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Iligan City or Sydney?
Families tend to lean toward Iligan City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Iligan City 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 Iligan City and Sydney?
If budget matters most, go with Iligan City. 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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