Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Irkutsk and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Irkutsk: $1,013 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Irkutsk
Learn more

Irkutsk Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index

Jump to prices

Irkutsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,013

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $3,182 in Sydney.

Irkutsk $1,013
Sydney $3,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Irkutsk versus $4,696 in Sydney.

Irkutsk $1,501
Sydney $4,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,988 in Irkutsk versus $6,210 in Sydney.

Irkutsk $1,988
Sydney $6,210

Living in Irkutsk costs roughly 68% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Irkutsk is 24% below, Sydney is 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.18 ₽611

$17.66 A$25.28

-59.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 ₽2,772

$97.1 A$139

-66.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.81 ₽494

$11.94 A$17.09

-51.34%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ₽258

$4.00 A$5.72

-24.25%

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

$1.60 ₽136

$2.84 A$4.06

-43.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.1

$2.27 A$3.25

-71.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 ₽229

$7.89 A$11.29

-65.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 ₽344

$7.13 A$10.20

-43.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 ₽102

$1.66 A$2.38

-27.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.64 ₽54.5

$2.79 A$4.00

-77.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ₽189

$2.32 A$3.33

-4.31%

Eggs

$1.59 ₽135

$5.53 A$7.92

-71.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 ₽995

$12.08 A$17.28

-3.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 ₽514

$9.84 A$14.09

-38.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 ₽956

$16.61 A$23.78

-32.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 ₽161

$4.02 A$5.76

-52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 ₽169

$3.15 A$4.51

-36.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ₽149

$3.50 A$5.01

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 ₽295

$4.47 A$6.39

-22.37%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ₽61.4

$3.32 A$4.76

-78.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ₽58.6

$2.30 A$3.30

-70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ₽152

$2.34 A$3.35

-23.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ₽55.6

$1.15 A$1.65

-43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 ₽230

$45.02 A$64.4

-94.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.17 ₽610

$13.96 A$19.97

-48.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ₽86.7

$3.98 A$5.70

-74.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₽162

$4.07 A$5.82

-53.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 ₽48.62

$3.16 A$4.52

-81.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.79 ₽1,344

$150 A$215

-89.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ₽102

$3.45 A$4.94

-65.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₽14.94

$1.63 A$2.33

-88.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ₽758

$39.98 A$57.2

-77.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 ₽66.8

$1.40 A$2.01

-43.57%

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

$29.0K ₽2.5M

$28.4K A$40.7K

2.05%

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

$36.8K ₽3.1M

$29.4K A$42.1K

25.17%

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

$118 ₽10.0K

$220 A$315

-46.51%

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

$5.84 ₽497

$27.70 A$39.64

-78.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.41 ₽971

$55.5 A$79.5

-79.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.35 ₽2,923

$74.3 A$106

-53.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.13 ₽1,798

$23.95 A$34.28

-11.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ₽565

$17.73 A$25.37

-62.55%

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

$294 ₽25.0K

$2,157 A$3,087

-86.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,121 ₽265.6K

$28.3K A$40.5K

-88.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 ₽4,992

$78.4 A$112

-25.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.42 ₽1,993

$70.5 A$101

-66.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₽8,516

$111 A$159

-10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₽9,642

$132 A$189

-13.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 ₽37.2K

$2,514 A$3,598

-82.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₽26.3K

$1,732 A$2,478

-82.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 ₽63.8K

$4,889 A$6,996

-84.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 ₽36.8K

$3,039 A$4,349

-85.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 ₽230.8K

$13.2K A$18.9K

-79.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,807 ₽153.7K

$8,117 A$11.6K

-77.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 ₽64.0K

$4,082 A$5,842

-81.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

24.57

5.84

320.72%

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

Last update for Irkutsk: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Irkutsk

$309 30.7%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5% 460% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Irkutsk

$220 21.9%

Sydney

$380 12% 72.8% $160

Eating Out

Irkutsk

$142 14.1%

Sydney

$299 9.4% 111% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irkutsk

$135 13.4%

Sydney

$303 9.6% 125% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Irkutsk

$133 13.2%

Sydney

$176 5.6% 32.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Irkutsk

$48 4.7%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 130% $62

Getting Around

Irkutsk

$20 2%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 764% $154

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Irkutsk and $2,514 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 443% 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: $33.00 in Irkutsk vs $97.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $380 per month, with Irkutsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Irkutsk

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

21:25 9:25 PM

3 h ahead of Irkutsk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

617,515

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.35 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Irkutsk Sydney 10,610 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Irkutsk
Sydney

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Irkutsk vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Irkutsk wins on cost – living expenses run 214% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Irkutsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 443% 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: $438 in Irkutsk versus $2,514 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $294 in Irkutsk versus $2,157 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Irkutsk versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Irkutsk but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Irkutsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Irkutsk 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 Irkutsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 214% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.