Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $714 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $29,600 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
Learn more

Chongqing Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $3,182 per month in Sydney vs $714 in Chongqing, rent included.

Sydney $3,182
Chongqing $714

A couple spends around $4,696 per month in Sydney vs $1,168 in Chongqing, rent included.

Sydney $4,696
Chongqing $1,168

A family of three spends $6,210 per month in Sydney vs $1,622 in Chongqing, rent included.

Sydney $6,210
Chongqing $1,622

Sydney costs about 346% more than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 137% above the global median, while Chongqing is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.28

$2.64 ¥17.67

568.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$22.05 ¥147

340.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.09

$4.67 ¥31.20

155.67%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.72

$2.06 ¥13.79

94.17%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$0.43 ¥2.90

560.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.25

$0.31 ¥2.09

632.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.29

$1.20 ¥8.02

557.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.20

$1.75 ¥11.71

307.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.92 ¥12.85

-13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.00

$1.58 ¥10.56

76.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.33

$0.64 ¥4.25

262.50%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.92

$2.16 ¥14.42

156.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.28

$17.55 ¥117

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.09

$3.37 ¥22.55

191.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.78

$10.08 ¥67.4

64.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.76

$1.56 ¥10.43

157.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.51

$1.35 ¥9.01

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

$1.25 ¥8.35

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.39

$1.25 ¥8.32

257.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

$0.61 ¥4.07

444.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$0.94 ¥6.31

144.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

$0.87 ¥5.83

168.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.62 ¥4.13

85.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.4

$3.07 ¥20.51

1366.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.97

$8.95 ¥59.8

55.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.70

$0.76 ¥5.10

423.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.82

$1.64 ¥10.93

148.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.52

$0.39 ¥2.59

710.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$22.16 ¥148

576.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.94

$1.53 ¥10.24

125.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.29 ¥1.91

462.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.2

$2.96 ¥19.81

1250.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.26 ¥8.44

11.11%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$19.5K ¥130.3K

45.78%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$16.8K ¥112.4K

74.82%

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

$220 A$315

$44.19 ¥295

397.60%

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

$27.70 A$39.64

$6.95 ¥46.43

298.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.5

$7.17 ¥47.91

674.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$106

$50.7 ¥339

46.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.28

$10.64 ¥71.1

125.09%

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.37

$5.94 ¥39.71

198.48%

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

$2,157 A$3,087

$290 ¥1,939

643.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.5K

$25.6K ¥171.0K

10.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$39.88 ¥267

96.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$29.80 ¥199

136.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$64.8 ¥433

71.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$62.7 ¥419

110.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$418 ¥2,790

502.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,478

$200 ¥1,338

765.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$6,996

$880 ¥5,879

455.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,349

$414 ¥2,767

634.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$2,681 ¥17.9K

392.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.6K

$1,705 ¥11.4K

375.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,842

$1,111 ¥7,423

267.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.34

74.85%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Chongqing

$200 27.7% 88.4% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Chongqing

$213 29.5% 44.1% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Chongqing

$58 8.1% 80.8% $245

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Chongqing

$72 10% 75.8% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Chongqing

$89 12.3% 49.7% $88

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 84.7% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Chongqing

$63 8.7% 43% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,514 in Sydney versus $418 in Chongqing. 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 268% 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 $97.0 in Sydney versus $22.00 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $213 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

1,564,449

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Sydney Chongqing 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney is pricier by about 346%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,774 per month in Sydney and $1,071 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,157 per month in Sydney and $290 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Sydney, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Sydney at $3,182. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – 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 Chongqing. 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.