Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Chuzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Chuzhou: $685 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $31,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sydney, Australia
Chuzhou, China
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,267
/mo nomad
Chuzhou
🇨🇳 China
$685
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Chuzhou

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $685 in Chuzhou, rent included.

  • Sydney $3,267
  • Chuzhou $685

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $1,120 in Chuzhou, rent included.

  • Sydney $4,847
  • Chuzhou $1,120

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $1,555 in Chuzhou, rent included.

  • Sydney $6,428
  • Chuzhou $1,555

Sydney costs about 377% more than Chuzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 140% above the global median, while Chuzhou is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.50 A$24.87
$2.28 ¥15.15
667.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.4 A$128
$22.28 ¥148
305.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.96 A$16.99
$4.76 ¥31.65
151.26%
Cappuccino
$4.00 A$5.68
$2.30 ¥15.31
73.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 A$4.00
$0.53 ¥3.54
430.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 A$3.16
$0.27 ¥1.80
722.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.13 A$11.56
$0.44 ¥2.90
1747.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 A$10.23
$1.54 ¥10.23
367.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 A$2.42
$1.54 ¥10.28
10.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 A$4.17
$2.07 ¥13.75
42.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 A$3.57
$0.84 ¥5.57
198.81%
Eggs
$5.66 A$8.04
$1.32 ¥8.80
328.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.22 A$17.36
$10.57 ¥70.3
15.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.31 A$13.24
$3.03 ¥20.15
207.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.87 A$23.97
$9.07 ¥60.4
86.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.90 A$5.54
$2.09 ¥13.88
86.60%
Banana (1kg)
$3.22 A$4.58
$1.26 ¥8.36
155.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 A$4.88
$1.71 ¥11.39
100.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.33 A$6.16
$1.07 ¥7.15
304.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.35 A$4.75
$0.90 ¥5.96
272.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.40 A$3.41
$0.97 ¥6.47
147.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 A$3.32
$0.89 ¥5.92
162.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 A$1.65
$0.52 ¥3.46
123.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.47 A$64.6
$3.83 ¥25.51
1087.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.99 A$19.88
$13.28 ¥88.4
5.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.11 A$5.84
$0.95 ¥6.31
332.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.18 A$5.94
$1.55 ¥10.34
169.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.12 A$4.44
$0.31 ¥2.08
906.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$152 A$216
$19.20 ¥128
690.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.46 A$4.92
$1.75 ¥11.66
97.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 A$2.22
$0.41 ¥2.75
280.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.54 A$56.2
$9.09 ¥60.5
334.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 A$2.05
$1.32 ¥8.77
9.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K A$42.5K
$19.3K ¥128.5K
54.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.5K A$39.1K
$17.4K ¥115.5K
58.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$251 A$356
$55.5 ¥369
351.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.76 A$39.44
$7.88 ¥52.4
252.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.0 A$82.4
$7.28 ¥48.43
696.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.7 A$100
$43.09 ¥287
64.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.25 A$33.04
$16.05 ¥107
44.86%
Cinema Ticket
$17.83 A$25.33
$6.07 ¥40.41
193.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,358 A$3,351
$441 ¥2,932
435.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.2K A$38.6K
$22.8K ¥151.9K
19.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.5 A$114
$43.42 ¥289
85.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$69.3 A$98.5
$34.55 ¥230
100.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$157
$64.8 ¥431
70.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 A$181
$87.6 ¥583
45.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,566 A$3,646
$253 ¥1,683
914.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,792 A$2,547
$165 ¥1,095
989.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,202 A$7,391
$606 ¥4,032
758.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,156 A$4,485
$376 ¥2,503
739.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.4K A$19.0K
$3,018 ¥20.1K
343.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,727 A$12.4K
$1,996 ¥13.3K
337.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Chuzhou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,118 A$5,851
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.92
3.42
73.10%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chuzhou: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.8K
Chuzhou
$165 90.8% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$382
Chuzhou
$198 48.2% $184
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$337
Chuzhou
$71 79% $266
Eating Out
Sydney
$299
Chuzhou
$69 77.1% $231
Getting Around
Sydney
$176
Chuzhou
$24 86.2% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$175
Chuzhou
$104 40.6% $71
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$106
Chuzhou
$55 48% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $253 in Chuzhou. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $22 in Chuzhou. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $198 – making Chuzhou the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Sydney
🇨🇳 Chuzhou
🕒 Local time
03:37 3:37 AM
00:37 12:37 AM
3 h behind Sydney
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,840,600
3,987,054
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney Chuzhou 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sydney
  • Chuzhou

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 Chuzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Sydney or Chuzhou?
Sydney costs about 377% more than Chuzhou, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Sydney and in Chuzhou?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $1,027 in Chuzhou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Sydney or Chuzhou?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chuzhou, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $253 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.
How do dining costs compare in Sydney and in Chuzhou?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney and $22 in Chuzhou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Sydney compared to Chuzhou?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $685 in Chuzhou. That’s a gap of about 377%.
Can you live on $800/month in Sydney or in Chuzhou?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Chuzhou, where all-in costs run around $685, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Chuzhou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Chuzhou – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Chuzhou is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 377% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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