Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Jiaxing

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaxing: $632 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $30,200 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Jiaxing
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Jiaxing Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Jiaxing

🇨🇳 China

$632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Jiaxing

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

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $632 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Jiaxing $632

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $1,070 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Jiaxing $1,070

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $1,507 in Jiaxing, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Jiaxing $1,507

Sydney costs about 399% more than Jiaxing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 133% above the global median, while Jiaxing is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.17

$3.05 ¥20.40

476.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$131

$22.17 ¥148

312.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.13

$4.41 ¥29.46

171.20%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.83

$3.03 ¥20.28

34.32%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$0.48 ¥3.18

493.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.23

$0.29 ¥1.93

675.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.89

$0.78 ¥5.23

874.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.64

$2.27 ¥15.17

227.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.37

$1.90 ¥12.70

-12.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.99

$1.95 ¥13.06

42.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.47

$0.59 ¥3.93

310.17%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.08

$1.92 ¥12.81

193.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.78

$7.45 ¥49.79

57.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.83

$3.31 ¥22.13

191.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.00

$7.51 ¥50.2

123.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.83

$1.60 ¥10.67

154.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.66

$1.14 ¥7.65

185.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.93

$0.93 ¥6.25

269.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.13

$0.68 ¥4.57

529.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.69

$0.59 ¥3.93

455.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

$0.87 ¥5.79

164.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.29

$0.50 ¥3.37

360.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.73

$0.55 ¥3.65

120.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.6

$5.13 ¥34.27

752.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.88

$11.85 ¥79.3

17.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.59

$0.79 ¥5.27

393.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.60

$1.31 ¥8.77

198.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.36

$0.21 ¥1.40

1347.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$16.27 ¥109

823.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.84

$1.17 ¥7.80

188.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$0.42 ¥2.83

271.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.3

$7.66 ¥51.2

422.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.26 ¥8.40

11.11%

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

$29.1K A$41.7K

$19.5K ¥130.7K

48.99%

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

$30.1K A$43.2K

$19.4K ¥130.0K

55.05%

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

$223 A$319

$36.33 ¥243

512.72%

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

$27.16 A$38.91

$11.38 ¥76.1

138.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.0

$5.30 ¥35.47

953.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$37.96 ¥254

96.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.37

$7.30 ¥48.80

228.63%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.16

$5.15 ¥34.43

240.97%

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

$2,196 A$3,146

$430 ¥2,877

410.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.4K

$12.6K ¥84.0K

124.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$35.13 ¥235

123.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.0

$21.43 ¥143

219.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$63.5 ¥425

75.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$45.38 ¥303

196.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,582

$282 ¥1,884

787.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,449

$176 ¥1,179

869.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,085

$743 ¥4,972

565.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,329

$455 ¥3,040

564.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$3,818 ¥25.5K

244.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$2,051 ¥13.7K

308.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,893

$737 ¥4,927

458.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.13

86.58%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jiaxing: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Jiaxing

$176 27.9% 89.7% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Jiaxing

$174 27.6% 54% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Jiaxing

$53 8.4% 82.6% $253

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Jiaxing

$86 13.5% 71.4% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Jiaxing

$74 11.8% 57.8% $102

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Jiaxing

$20 3.2% 88.3% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Jiaxing

$48 7.6% 56% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $282 in Jiaxing. 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 458% 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 $22.00 in Jiaxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $174 – making Jiaxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Jiaxing

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

3,563,700

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Sydney Jiaxing 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 Jiaxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 399% more than Jiaxing, 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 $948 in Jiaxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 823% less in Jiaxing. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,196 per month in Sydney and $430 in Jiaxing. 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 Jiaxing, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Jiaxing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jiaxing – 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 Jiaxing. 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.