Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Changchun

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $912 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
Learn more

Changchun Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Changchun

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $912 in Changchun.

Sydney $3,152
Changchun $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $1,335 in Changchun.

Sydney $4,710
Changchun $1,335

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $1,757 in Changchun.

Sydney $6,268
Changchun $1,757

Living in Sydney is roughly 246% more expensive than in Changchun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 133% above, Changchun is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.17

$2.95 ¥19.71

495.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$131

$22.24 ¥149

311.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.13

$5.19 ¥34.69

130.44%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.83

$2.49 ¥16.66

63.45%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$0.48 ¥3.20

493.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.23

$0.29 ¥1.94

675.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.89

$1.17 ¥7.82

549.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.64

$1.82 ¥12.19

308.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.37

$1.90 ¥12.70

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.99

$1.22 ¥8.16

127.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.47

$1.45 ¥9.72

66.90%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.08

$1.84 ¥12.33

206.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.78

$34.91 ¥233

-66.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.83

$5.88 ¥39.33

64.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.00

$10.55 ¥70.6

58.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.83

$1.71 ¥11.44

138.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.66

$1.46 ¥9.79

122.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.93

$1.78 ¥11.88

93.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.13

$1.90 ¥12.68

125.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.69

$0.88 ¥5.87

272.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.29

$0.61 ¥4.10

277.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.73

$1.48 ¥9.89

-18.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.6

$3.65 ¥24.44

1097.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.88

$20.59 ¥138

-32.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.59

$0.93 ¥6.21

319.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.60

$1.14 ¥7.60

242.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.36

$0.44 ¥2.92

590.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.84

$1.23 ¥8.26

174.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$0.31 ¥2.11

403.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.3

$2.93 ¥19.57

1265.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.24 ¥8.30

12.90%

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

$29.1K A$41.7K

$19.6K ¥130.9K

48.74%

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

$30.1K A$43.2K

$18.0K ¥120.1K

67.80%

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

$223 A$319

$75.1 ¥502

196.33%

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

$27.16 A$38.91

$4.52 ¥30.24

500.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.0

$14.87 ¥99.5

275.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$38.44 ¥257

94.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.37

$4.21 ¥28.18

469.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.16

$6.86 ¥45.91

155.98%

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

$2,196 A$3,146

$546 ¥3,650

302.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.4K

$21.4K ¥143.2K

31.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$74.2 ¥496

5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.0

$45.27 ¥303

51.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$60.9 ¥407

82.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$71.0 ¥475

89.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,582

$218 ¥1,459

1045.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,449

$251 ¥1,679

580.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,085

$575 ¥3,847

759.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,329

$310 ¥2,073

874.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$1,661 ¥11.1K

692.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$1,015 ¥6,789

724.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,893

$965 ¥6,451

326.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.37

33.64%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Changchun: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Changchun

$251 27.5% 85.3% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Changchun

$315 * 34.6% 16.8% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Changchun

$95 10.4% 69.1% $211

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Changchun

$82 9% 72.7% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Changchun

$113 12.4% 36% $64

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Changchun

$4.6 * 0.5% 97.4% $169

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Changchun

$52 5.7% 52.5% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $218 in Changchun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 326% 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 $22.00 in Changchun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $315 per month, with Changchun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Changchun

🕒 Local time

19:46 7:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

9,066,906

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Changchun 9,040 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Changchun

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 Changchun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 246% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 326% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $218 in Changchun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,196 in Sydney versus $546 in Changchun. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Changchun – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $912 in Changchun versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun 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 Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 246% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.