Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Hefei

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $764 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $28,700 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
Learn more

Hefei Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Hefei

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $764 in Hefei.

Sydney $3,152
Hefei $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $1,215 in Hefei.

Sydney $4,710
Hefei $1,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $1,666 in Hefei.

Sydney $6,268
Hefei $1,666

Living in Sydney is roughly 313% more expensive than in Hefei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 133% above, Hefei is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$2.60 ¥17.37

575.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$22.83 ¥153

300.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$4.53 ¥30.27

164.02%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.67 ¥17.83

52.43%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.49 ¥3.27

481.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.27 ¥1.78

733.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$1.03 ¥6.88

637.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$1.98 ¥13.27

275.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.58 ¥10.59

5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.97 ¥13.14

41.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$0.79 ¥5.30

206.33%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$1.83 ¥12.22

208.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$13.84 ¥92.5

-15.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$4.76 ¥31.85

102.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$11.55 ¥77.2

45.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.31 ¥15.44

76.19%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$1.68 ¥11.23

93.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$1.64 ¥10.95

109.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$1.54 ¥10.27

177.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$0.88 ¥5.90

272.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$0.99 ¥6.60

132.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.84 ¥5.59

173.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$0.66 ¥4.44

83.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$3.06 ¥20.47

1328.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$12.08 ¥80.8

14.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$0.88 ¥5.88

343.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$1.90 ¥12.73

105.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$0.31 ¥2.10

880.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$44.14 ¥295

240.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$1.17 ¥7.79

188.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.33 ¥2.18

372.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$3.54 ¥23.65

1030.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.30 ¥8.69

7.69%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

53.09%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$16.9K ¥112.8K

78.59%

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

$223 A$320

$49.24 ¥329

352.07%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$9.03 ¥60.4

200.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$11.71 ¥78.3

376.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$15.74 ¥105

374.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$15.63 ¥105

53.49%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$6.43 ¥43.00

173.09%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$246 ¥1,645

792.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$8,528 ¥57.0K

230.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$90.9 ¥608

-13.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$32.82 ¥219

108.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$63.2 ¥422

76.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$98.4 ¥658

36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$249 ¥1,662

905.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$180 ¥1,202

850.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$550 ¥3,679

798.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$332 ¥2,221

809.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$3,585 ¥24.0K

267.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$1,910 ¥12.8K

338.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$1,007 ¥6,734

308.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.15

85.40%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hefei: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Hefei

$180 23.5% 89.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Hefei

$230 30.1% 39.2% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Hefei

$70 9.2% 77.1% $236

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Hefei

$78 10.3% 73.7% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Hefei

$128 16.8% 27.3% $48

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Hefei

$48 6.3% 72.2% $125

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Hefei

$29 3.8% 73.9% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $249 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 308% 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 $23.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $230 per month, with Hefei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Hefei

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

05:47 5:47 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

9,369,881

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Sydney Hefei 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Sydney
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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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 313% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 308% 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 $249 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,152 per month in Sydney versus $764 in Hefei – a 313% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $764 in Hefei versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei 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 Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 313% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.