Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiangmen and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiangmen: $513 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $31,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Jiangmen
Learn more

Jiangmen Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index

Jump to prices

Jiangmen

🇨🇳 China

$513

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $513 in Jiangmen versus $3,152 in Sydney.

Jiangmen $513
Sydney $3,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $998 in Jiangmen versus $4,710 in Sydney.

Jiangmen $998
Sydney $4,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,483 in Jiangmen versus $6,268 in Sydney.

Jiangmen $1,483
Sydney $6,268

Living in Jiangmen costs roughly 84% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jiangmen is 62% below, Sydney is 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 ¥21.97

$17.57 A$25.29

-81.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.07 ¥201

$91.5 A$132

-67.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.49

$11.96 A$17.21

-55.60%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ¥15.38

$4.07 A$5.85

-43.49%

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

$0.43 ¥2.87

$2.85 A$4.10

-84.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$2.25 A$3.24

-86.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$7.60 A$10.94

-88.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.79

$7.43 A$10.69

-80.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$1.66 A$2.38

-3.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.89

$2.78 A$4.00

-41.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$2.42 A$3.49

-55.79%

Eggs

$1.77 ¥11.86

$5.64 A$8.12

-68.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.48 ¥144

$11.71 A$16.85

83.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.27

$9.66 A$13.89

-76.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.5

$16.75 A$24.10

-20.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ¥14.47

$4.07 A$5.85

-46.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.94

$3.25 A$4.68

-72.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$3.44 A$4.96

-65.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ¥9.57

$4.28 A$6.16

-66.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.28

$3.28 A$4.72

-80.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.25

$2.30 A$3.30

-59.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$2.30 A$3.31

-87.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$1.21 A$1.74

-54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ¥20.45

$43.71 A$62.9

-93.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 ¥81.5

$13.88 A$19.97

-12.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$3.90 A$5.62

-82.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$3.91 A$5.63

-54.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$3.04 A$4.38

-85.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$3.38 A$4.86

-58.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$1.56 A$2.24

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 ¥47.43

$40.01 A$57.6

-82.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.40 A$2.01

-4.29%

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

$19.8K ¥132.2K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-32.10%

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

$16.5K ¥110.5K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-45.14%

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

$49.45 ¥331

$223 A$320

-77.79%

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

$8.60 ¥57.5

$27.16 A$39.08

-68.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.27 ¥82.1

$55.8 A$80.3

-78.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.28 ¥202

$74.6 A$107

-59.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.51 ¥30.19

$23.99 A$34.52

-81.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ¥43.40

$17.56 A$25.27

-63.04%

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

$251 ¥1,676

$2,196 A$3,160

-88.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,533 ¥50.4K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-73.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.21 ¥202

$78.4 A$113

-61.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 ¥266

$68.4 A$98.5

-41.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ¥485

$111 A$160

-34.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.20 ¥296

$134 A$193

-67.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ¥2,968

$4,946 A$7,117

-91.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,826

$3,022 A$4,349

-90.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$13.2K A$18.9K

-53.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 ¥8,178

$8,370 A$12.0K

-85.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ¥3,957

$4,113 A$5,919

-85.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

5.84

-42.64%

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

Last update for Jiangmen: 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

Jiangmen

$230 44.9%

Sydney

$379 12% 64.2% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Jiangmen

$84 16.4%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 110% $93

Eating Out

Jiangmen

$80 15.6%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 272% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jiangmen

$70 13.7%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 335% $235

Sport & Entertainment

Jiangmen

$43 8.4%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 154% $66

Getting Around

Jiangmen

$5.1 * 1%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 3303% $168

Accommodation & Living

Jiangmen

- * 0%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

Sydney pays 595% 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: $30.00 in Jiangmen vs $91.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $379 per month, with Jiangmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jiangmen

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

17:00 5:00 PM

20:00 8:00 PM

3 h ahead of Jiangmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,448,871

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jiangmen Sydney 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Jiangmen
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

Jiangmen vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiangmen and Sydney differ by about 514% in total monthly costs ($513 vs $3,152 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 595% 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.

Childcare runs $251 in Jiangmen versus $2,196 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiangmen – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $513 in Jiangmen versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jiangmen but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Jiangmen 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, Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 514% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.