Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Cotabato City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotabato City: $764 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Cotabato City
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Cotabato City Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Cotabato City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Cotabato City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,245 in Sydney versus $764 in Cotabato City.

Sydney $3,245
Cotabato City $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,803 in Sydney versus $1,169 in Cotabato City.

Sydney $4,803
Cotabato City $1,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,362 in Sydney versus $1,574 in Cotabato City.

Sydney $6,362
Cotabato City $1,574

Living in Sydney is roughly 325% more expensive than in Cotabato City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 139% above, Cotabato City is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$4.65 ₱293

274.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$16.57 ₱1,044

444.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$4.00 ₱252

198.00%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$2.23 ₱141

80.72%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$1.04 ₱65.4

176.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$0.64 ₱40.49

248.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$1.17 ₱73.4

574.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$1.91 ₱120

254.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$2.02 ₱127

-15.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.08 ₱68.0

172.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$0.78 ₱49.16

221.79%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$1.89 ₱119

193.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$6.41 ₱404

83.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$4.67 ₱294

98.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$9.06 ₱570

84.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$2.73 ₱172

43.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$1.11 ₱69.9

184.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$2.44 ₱154

42.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$1.20 ₱75.3

265.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$1.94 ₱122

71.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$3.55 ₱224

-32.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$1.20 ₱75.4

92.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.71 ₱44.58

61.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$2.47 ₱156

1695.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$8.06 ₱507

70.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$1.22 ₱77.1

227.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$1.68 ₱106

139.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$0.26 ₱16.40

1138.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$11.02 ₱694

1298.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$0.84 ₱52.8

325.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$0.23 ₱14.37

586.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$1.94 ₱122

1932.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.18 ₱74.4

25.42%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$21.5K ₱1.4M

37.59%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$18.7K ₱1.2M

48.06%

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

$241 A$347

$108 ₱6,788

123.89%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$19.38 ₱1,220

42.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$31.55 ₱1,986

78.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$32.71 ₱2,060

138.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$4.78 ₱301

386.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$4.64 ₱292

278.23%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$107 ₱6,709

1950.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$7,519 ₱473.4K

269.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$33.49 ₱2,109

138.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$19.69 ₱1,240

258.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$71.2 ₱4,483

55.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$60.8 ₱3,825

113.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$270 ₱17.0K

816.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$174 ₱11.0K

921.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$524 ₱33.0K

832.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$357 ₱22.5K

766.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$2,445 ₱154.0K

448.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$999 ₱62.9K

738.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

8.31

-28.76%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Cotabato City

$174 22.8% 90.2% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Cotabato City

$199 26.1% 47.3% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Cotabato City

$159 20.8% 51.2% $167

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Cotabato City

$92 12.1% 68.9% $204

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Cotabato City

$14 1.8% 92.1% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Cotabato City

$83 10.9% 52.6% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Cotabato City

$42 5.5% 62.9% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Sydney and $270 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sydney vs $17.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $199 per month, with Cotabato City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇵🇭 Cotabato City

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

20:35 8:35 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

325,079

💱 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 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Cotabato City 5,380 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Cotabato City

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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 325% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,867 in Sydney and $1,146 in Cotabato City to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,477 in Sydney versus $270 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,245 per month in Sydney versus $764 in Cotabato City – a 325% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cotabato City runs roughly 1298% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $764 in Cotabato City versus $3,245 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 325% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.