Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Ba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ba: $92.7 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $36,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Ba
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Ba Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

🇫🇯 Fiji

$92.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Ba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sydney and in Ba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $92.7 in Ba.

Sydney $3,152
Ba $92.7

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $207 in Ba.

Sydney $4,710
Ba $207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $321 in Ba.

Sydney $6,268
Ba $321

Living in Sydney is roughly 3299% more expensive than in Ba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 133% above, Ba is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.41

$2.05 FJD 4.59

757.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$29.78 FJD 66.7

207.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.30

$6.10 FJD 13.66

96.07%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.88

$1.96 FJD 4.39

107.65%

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

$2.85 A$4.12

$0.98 FJD 2.20

190.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.26

$0.98 FJD 2.19

129.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$11.00

$3.95 FJD 8.84

92.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.74

$3.45 FJD 7.72

115.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.39

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.02

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.50

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.16

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.94

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.97

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.88

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.70

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.98

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.19

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.74

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.32

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$63.2

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$20.07

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.65

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.66

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$217

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.88

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.25

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.02

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

$29.1K A$42.1K

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

$30.1K A$43.6K

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

$223 A$322

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

$27.16 A$39.28

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.7

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$108

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.70

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.40

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

$2,196 A$3,176

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$99.0

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$161

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$194

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,616

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,472

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,153

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,371

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$19.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,949

$385 FJD 863

967.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

46.00%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

- * 0% 100%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

$93 100% 68.9% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

Sydney pays 967% 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 at a mid-range restaurant: $91.0 in Sydney vs $30.00 in Ba for two.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇫🇯 Ba

🕒 Local time

11:23 11:23 AM

12:23 12:23 PM

1 h ahead of Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

15,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Fijian Dollar FJD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.691 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

1 FJD = 0.447 USD

1 FJD = 0.398 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FJD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.45 AUD (1 AUD = 0.691 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

Fijian Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 2.24 FJD (1 FJD = 0.447 USD). 1 EUR = 2.51 FJD (1 FJD = 0.398 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Ba 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Sydney vs Ba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 3299% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 967% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – 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.

All in, you'll spend $3,152 per month in Sydney versus $92.7 in Ba – a 3299% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $92.7 in Ba versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Ba 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, Sydney and Ba 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 Ba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3299% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.