Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Dipolog

For one person, living is cheaper in Dipolog: $602 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $32,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Dipolog
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Dipolog Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Dipolog

🇵🇭 Philippines

$602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Dipolog

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $602 in Dipolog, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Dipolog $602

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $839 in Dipolog, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Dipolog $839

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $1,076 in Dipolog, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Dipolog $1,076

Sydney costs about 442% more than Dipolog, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 140% above the global median, while Dipolog is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.87

$1.36 ₱86.9

1186.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$19.30 ₱1,233

368.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.99

$2.72 ₱174

339.71%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.68

$2.02 ₱129

98.02%

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

$2.81 A$4.00

$0.64 ₱40.78

339.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.16

$0.29 ₱18.75

665.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.56

$1.04 ₱66.6

681.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.23

$1.72 ₱110

318.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.60 ₱102

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.17

$0.77 ₱48.93

281.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.57

$0.82 ₱52.5

206.10%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.04

$1.87 ₱119

202.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.36

$5.77 ₱369

111.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.24

$4.12 ₱263

125.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.97

$5.71 ₱365

195.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.54

$1.60 ₱102

143.75%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$1.07 ₱68.7

200.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.88

$2.91 ₱186

17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.16

$1.43 ₱91.5

202.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.75

$1.84 ₱118

82.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.68 ₱171

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.32

$1.47 ₱93.6

59.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.65

$0.61 ₱39.25

90.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.6

$3.04 ₱194

1395.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.88

$3.93 ₱251

255.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.84

$1.13 ₱71.9

263.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.94

$1.26 ₱80.4

231.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.44

$0.26 ₱16.72

1100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$216

$10.99 ₱702

1281.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

$0.81 ₱51.5

327.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

$0.32 ₱20.72

387.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.2

$2.32 ₱148

1604.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$0.89 ₱57.0

62.92%

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

$29.9K A$42.5K

$21.2K ₱1.4M

41.09%

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

$27.5K A$39.1K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

44.90%

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

$251 A$356

$64.3 ₱4,106

290.35%

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

$27.76 A$39.44

$7.73 ₱494

259.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.4

$23.98 ₱1,532

141.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$32.70 ₱2,090

116.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$33.04

$4.65 ₱297

400.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.33

$4.70 ₱300

279.36%

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

$2,358 A$3,351

$32.00 ₱2,045

7270.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.6K

$8,107 ₱518.0K

235.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$33.03 ₱2,111

143.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.5

$19.08 ₱1,219

263.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$55.9 ₱3,574

97.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$23.76 ₱1,518

436.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,646

$156 ₱9,955

1546.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,547

$172 ₱11.0K

942.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,391

$513 ₱32.7K

914.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,485

$134 ₱8,589

2248.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$2,401 ₱153.4K

457.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$1,119 ₱71.5K

679.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,851

$234 ₱15.0K

1658.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

7.33

-19.24%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Dipolog: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Dipolog

$172 28.6% 90.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Dipolog

$163 27% 57.4% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Dipolog

$96 15.9% 71.5% $241

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Dipolog

$56 9.2% 81.4% $243

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Dipolog

$14 2.4% 91.8% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Dipolog

$59 9.9% 66% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Dipolog

$42 7% 60.4% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $156 in Dipolog. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sydney are about 18 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney versus $19 in Dipolog. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $163 – making Dipolog the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇵🇭 Dipolog

🕒 Local time

03:31 3:31 AM

00:31 12:31 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

130,759

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100 PHP = 1.57 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 63.89 PHP (100 PHP = 1.57 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sydney Dipolog 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Dipolog

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 Dipolog: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 442% more than Dipolog, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $904 in Dipolog. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dipolog, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

Kindergarten costs $2,358 per month in Sydney and $32 in Dipolog. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 135% 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Dipolog, where all-in costs run around $602, than in Sydney at $3,267. In Dipolog it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dipolog – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Dipolog. 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.