Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mambajao and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Mambajao: $508 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 Mambajao
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Mambajao Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Mambajao

🇵🇭 Philippines

$508

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $508 per month in Mambajao vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Mambajao $508
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $817 per month in Mambajao vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Mambajao $817
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $1,126 per month in Mambajao vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Mambajao $1,126
Sydney $6,268

Mambajao is about 84% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mambajao sits 62% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.36 ₱85.9

$17.57 A$25.29

-92.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.83 ₱997

$91.5 A$132

-82.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.40 ₱214

$11.96 A$17.21

-71.57%

Cappuccino

$2.28 ₱144

$4.07 A$5.85

-43.98%

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

$0.38 ₱24.02

$2.85 A$4.10

-86.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ₱16.81

$2.25 A$3.24

-88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ₱64.6

$7.60 A$10.94

-86.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 ₱70.6

$7.43 A$10.69

-84.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$1.66 A$2.38

-45.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₱39.56

$2.78 A$4.00

-77.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₱41.56

$2.42 A$3.49

-72.73%

Eggs

$1.26 ₱79.5

$5.64 A$8.12

-77.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 ₱372

$11.71 A$16.85

-49.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 ₱270

$9.66 A$13.89

-55.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.50 ₱346

$16.75 A$24.10

-67.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 ₱160

$4.07 A$5.85

-37.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 ₱103

$3.25 A$4.68

-49.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 ₱141

$3.44 A$4.96

-34.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 ₱71.3

$4.28 A$6.16

-73.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.3

$3.28 A$4.72

-60.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₱130

$2.30 A$3.30

-10.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₱56.8

$2.30 A$3.31

-60.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ₱34.37

$1.21 A$1.74

-54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₱158

$43.71 A$62.9

-94.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 ₱467

$13.88 A$19.97

-46.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₱62.0

$3.90 A$5.62

-74.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ₱70.9

$3.91 A$5.63

-71.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$3.04 A$4.38

-93.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.71 ₱675

$150 A$216

-92.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ₱43.54

$3.38 A$4.86

-79.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.21 ₱12.97

$1.56 A$2.24

-86.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ₱107

$40.01 A$57.6

-95.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ₱80.3

$1.40 A$2.01

-8.57%

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

$21.9K ₱1.4M

$29.1K A$41.9K

-24.63%

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

$21.8K ₱1.4M

$30.1K A$43.4K

-27.78%

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

$64.9 ₱4,083

$223 A$320

-70.87%

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

$16.36 ₱1,030

$27.16 A$39.08

-39.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.10 ₱1,266

$55.8 A$80.3

-63.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.72 ₱1,745

$74.6 A$107

-62.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 ₱295

$23.99 A$34.52

-80.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 ₱312

$17.56 A$25.27

-71.81%

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

$127 ₱7,995

$2,196 A$3,160

-94.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,993 ₱566.2K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-68.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.83 ₱1,941

$78.4 A$113

-60.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 ₱1,386

$68.4 A$98.5

-67.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 ₱4,553

$111 A$160

-34.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.1 ₱3,975

$134 A$193

-53.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₱6,360

$2,500 A$3,598

-95.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.3 ₱3,542

$1,709 A$2,460

-96.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 ₱14.9K

$4,946 A$7,117

-95.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₱9,973

$3,022 A$4,349

-94.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,172 ₱136.7K

$13.2K A$18.9K

-83.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$990 ₱62.3K

$8,370 A$12.0K

-88.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$153 ₱9,616

$4,113 A$5,919

-96.29%

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 Mambajao: 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

Mambajao

$156 30.7%

Sydney

$379 12% 143% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mambajao

$101 20%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 202% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Mambajao

$85 16.7%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 108% $92

Eating Out

Mambajao

$59 11.5%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 410% $240

Accommodation & Living

Mambajao

$56 11.1%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 2938% $1.7K

Sport & Entertainment

Mambajao

$38 7.4%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 192% $72

Getting Around

Mambajao

$13 2.6%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 1212% $160

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $101 in Mambajao 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 2593% 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 $16.00 in Mambajao versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $156 vs $379 – making Mambajao the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Mambajao

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

05:48 5:48 AM

3 h ahead of Mambajao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,094

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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Mambajao Sydney 5,550 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mambajao
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

Mambajao vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 521% more than Mambajao, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $761 per month in Mambajao and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $508 in Mambajao and $3,152 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 521%.

Public transport costs about 1303% less in Mambajao. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mambajao, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Mambajao it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mambajao – 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 Mambajao. 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.