Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Hsinchu

For one person, living is cheaper in Hsinchu: $1,154 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Hsinchu
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Hsinchu Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Hsinchu

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Hsinchu

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

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $1,154 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Hsinchu $1,154

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $1,937 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Hsinchu $1,937

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $2,719 in Hsinchu, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Hsinchu $2,719

Sydney costs about 173% more than Hsinchu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 133% above the global median, while Hsinchu is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$3.66 NT$119

380.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$28.02 NT$909

226.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$4.64 NT$151

157.76%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.95 NT$95.7

37.97%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.97 NT$31.52

193.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.66 NT$21.26

240.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$1.83 NT$59.2

315.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$2.26 NT$73.2

228.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$2.78 NT$90.1

-40.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.65 NT$53.5

68.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$4.61 NT$150

-47.51%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$2.75 NT$89.3

105.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$36.03 NT$1,168

-67.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$6.69 NT$217

44.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$21.15 NT$686

-20.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.60 NT$84.2

56.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$2.57 NT$83.4

26.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$3.32 NT$108

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$3.00 NT$97.3

42.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$2.30 NT$74.4

42.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.29 NT$74.2

0.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.02 NT$65.4

13.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$1.36 NT$44.08

-11.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$4.00 NT$130

992.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$12.55 NT$407

10.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$1.93 NT$62.5

102.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$2.40 NT$77.8

62.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$0.61 NT$19.78

398.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$40.83 NT$1,324

267.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$3.09 NT$100

9.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.30 NT$9.63

420.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$10.04 NT$325

298.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.00 NT$32.34

40.00%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$33.8K NT$1.1M

-13.84%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$26.4K NT$857.3K

13.96%

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

$223 A$320

$103 NT$3,337

116.33%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$18.95 NT$614

43.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$20.99 NT$681

165.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$50.8 NT$1,649

46.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$10.21 NT$331

71.99%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$750 NT$24.3K

192.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$16.4K NT$533.0K

71.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$56.9 NT$1,846

37.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$35.65 NT$1,156

91.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$79.5 NT$2,579

39.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$106 NT$3,449

26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$440 NT$14.3K

468.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$257 NT$8,335

564.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$1,141 NT$37.0K

333.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$755 NT$24.5K

300.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$8,071 NT$261.7K

63.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$6,095 NT$197.6K

37.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$2,506 NT$81.3K

64.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

2.13

174.18%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hsinchu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Hsinchu

$257 22.3% 85% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Hsinchu

$411 35.6% 8.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Hsinchu

$143 12.4% 53.3% $163

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Hsinchu

$99 8.6% 66.9% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Hsinchu

$125 10.9% 29.1% $51

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Hsinchu

$48 4.2% 72.4% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Hsinchu

$71 6.2% 35.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $440 in Hsinchu. 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 64% 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 $91.0 in Sydney versus $28.00 in Hsinchu. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Sydney vs $411 in Hsinchu – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇹🇼 Hsinchu

🕒 Local time

22:44 10:44 PM

19:44 7:44 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

453,120

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, 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).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Hsinchu 7,260 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 Hsinchu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 173% more than Hsinchu, 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 $4,728 per month in Sydney and $1,731 in Hsinchu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 268% less in Hsinchu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,196 per month in Sydney and $750 in Hsinchu. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hsinchu, where all-in costs run around $1,154, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Hsinchu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hsinchu – 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 Hsinchu. 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.