Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Qinhuangdao and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Qinhuangdao: $714 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $30,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Qinhuangdao
Learn more

Qinhuangdao Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index

Jump to prices

Qinhuangdao

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $714 in Qinhuangdao versus $3,245 in Sydney.

Qinhuangdao $714
Sydney $3,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,135 in Qinhuangdao versus $4,803 in Sydney.

Qinhuangdao $1,135
Sydney $4,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,556 in Qinhuangdao versus $6,362 in Sydney.

Qinhuangdao $1,556
Sydney $6,362

Living in Qinhuangdao costs roughly 78% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Qinhuangdao is 47% below, Sydney is 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.44

$17.41 A$25.05

-84.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.79 ¥146

$90.3 A$130

-75.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.88 ¥32.64

$11.92 A$17.15

-59.06%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.33

$4.03 A$5.80

-24.57%

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

$0.47 ¥3.13

$2.88 A$4.15

-83.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$2.23 A$3.20

-87.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

$7.89 A$11.36

-88.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.24

$6.78 A$9.76

-68.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.71 A$2.45

8.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.38

$2.94 A$4.23

-47.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.94

$2.51 A$3.61

-64.54%

Eggs

$1.53 ¥10.25

$5.55 A$7.99

-72.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 ¥87.3

$11.77 A$16.94

10.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.11 ¥20.80

$9.28 A$13.35

-66.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.33 ¥69.1

$16.70 A$24.03

-38.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 ¥12.52

$3.92 A$5.64

-52.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.36

$3.16 A$4.55

-60.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$3.48 A$5.00

-57.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.66

$4.38 A$6.31

-73.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.90

$3.33 A$4.79

-78.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.36

$2.40 A$3.46

-60.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥4.01

$2.31 A$3.32

-74.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.42

$1.15 A$1.65

-55.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 ¥20.41

$44.34 A$63.8

-93.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 ¥71.5

$13.71 A$19.72

-22.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.28

$4.00 A$5.75

-80.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.94

$4.03 A$5.80

-59.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$3.22 A$4.63

-91.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.97 ¥113

$154 A$222

-88.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 ¥9.52

$3.57 A$5.14

-60.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$1.58 A$2.27

-79.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 ¥44.23

$39.44 A$56.8

-83.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$1.48 A$2.13

-22.97%

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

$19.2K ¥128.4K

$29.6K A$42.5K

-35.02%

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

$17.1K ¥114.3K

$27.7K A$39.8K

-38.18%

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

$44.64 ¥298

$241 A$347

-81.51%

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

$9.87 ¥66.0

$27.57 A$39.67

-64.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.90 ¥79.5

$56.3 A$81.0

-78.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.14 ¥282

$78.1 A$112

-46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.09 ¥94.2

$23.26 A$33.47

-39.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 ¥38.72

$17.55 A$25.26

-67.01%

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

$337 ¥2,254

$2,185 A$3,144

-84.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥114.7K

$27.8K A$40.0K

-38.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.18 ¥295

$80.0 A$115

-44.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.35 ¥203

$70.7 A$102

-57.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.8 ¥480

$111 A$159

-35.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥472

$129 A$186

-45.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,843

$2,477 A$3,564

-88.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,277

$1,777 A$2,557

-89.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 ¥4,016

$4,885 A$7,030

-87.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 ¥2,423

$3,093 A$4,451

-88.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,063 ¥20.5K

$13.4K A$19.3K

-77.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 ¥13.8K

$8,375 A$12.1K

-75.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

5.92

-34.29%

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

Last update for Qinhuangdao: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Qinhuangdao

$199 27.9%

Sydney

$378 11.7% 89.9% $179

Accommodation & Living

Qinhuangdao

$191 26.8%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8% 830% $1.6K

Clothing & Footwear

Qinhuangdao

$98 13.7%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 80.1% $78

Eating Out

Qinhuangdao

$85 11.9%

Sydney

$297 9.2% 249% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Qinhuangdao

$66 9.3%

Sydney

$325 10% 390% $259

Sport & Entertainment

Qinhuangdao

$54 7.5%

Sydney

$113 3.5% 111% $60

Getting Around

Qinhuangdao

$21 3%

Sydney

$178 5.5% 746% $157

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Qinhuangdao and $2,477 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Qinhuangdao vs $90.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $378 per month, with Qinhuangdao cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Qinhuangdao

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

19:51 7:51 PM

3 h ahead of Qinhuangdao

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,987,605

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 25, 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 25, 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

Qinhuangdao Sydney 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Qinhuangdao
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

Qinhuangdao vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qinhuangdao and Sydney differ by about 354% in total monthly costs ($714 vs $3,245 including rent). Qinhuangdao is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,071 in Qinhuangdao and $4,867 in Sydney to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $276 in Qinhuangdao versus $2,477 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Qinhuangdao – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $90.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $714 in Qinhuangdao versus $3,245 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qinhuangdao but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Qinhuangdao 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, Qinhuangdao 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 Qinhuangdao gentler on the wallet – expenses run 354% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.