Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Calamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Calamba: $518 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $31,600 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 Calamba
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Calamba Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Calamba

🇵🇭 Philippines

$518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Calamba

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 Calamba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $518 in Calamba.

Sydney $3,152
Calamba $518

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $764 in Calamba.

Sydney $4,710
Calamba $764

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $1,010 in Calamba.

Sydney $6,268
Calamba $1,010

Living in Sydney is roughly 508% more expensive than in Calamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$3.92 ₱247

348.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$12.02 ₱757

661.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$2.82 ₱178

324.11%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$1.79 ₱113

127.37%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.56 ₱35.44

408.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.33 ₱21.06

581.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$0.94 ₱59.5

708.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$1.55 ₱97.7

379.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.60 ₱101

3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.11 ₱70.1

150.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$0.97 ₱61.0

149.48%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$2.00 ₱126

182.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$5.20 ₱327

125.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$3.40 ₱214

184.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$7.80 ₱491

114.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.31 ₱145

76.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$1.54 ₱96.9

111.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$2.40 ₱151

43.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$1.06 ₱66.9

303.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$1.73 ₱109

89.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.78 ₱112

29.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.61 ₱38.68

277.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$0.49 ₱31.10

146.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$2.92 ₱184

1396.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$8.87 ₱558

56.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$0.96 ₱60.3

306.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$2.10 ₱132

86.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$0.82 ₱51.9

312.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.25 ₱15.75

524.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$1.88 ₱119

2028.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.93 ₱58.7

50.54%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$21.1K ₱1.3M

37.81%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

58.48%

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

$223 A$320

$139 ₱8,759

60.01%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$17.36 ₱1,093

56.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$23.85 ₱1,502

134.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$5.04 ₱317

248.41%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$130 ₱8,193

1587.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$10.6K ₱668.9K

165.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$28.54 ₱1,797

174.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$19.73 ₱1,242

246.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$71.0 ₱4,468

56.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$55.3 ₱3,482

143.07%

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)

$4,946 A$7,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$260 ₱16.4K

1483.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.75

-13.48%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calamba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Calamba

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Calamba

$175 33.7% 53.9% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Calamba

$180 34.8% 41% $125

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Calamba

$73 14% 75.6% $226

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Calamba

$79 15.2% 55.5% $98

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Calamba

$2.1 * 0.4% 98.8% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Calamba

$10 * 1.9% 90.8% $100

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

Cost Breakdown

Sydney pays 1483% 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: $91.0 in Sydney vs $12.00 in Calamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $175 per month, with Calamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇵🇭 Calamba

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

539,671

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sydney Calamba 6,220 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Calamba

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 Calamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calamba wins on cost – living expenses run 508% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1483% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,152 per month in Sydney versus $518 in Calamba – a 508% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $518 in Calamba versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calamba but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Calamba 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 Calamba 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 Calamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 508% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.