Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Lae

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $825 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Lae

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

A single person spends $3,182 per month in Sydney vs $825 in Lae, rent included.

Sydney $3,182
Lae $825

A couple spends around $4,696 per month in Sydney vs $1,464 in Lae, rent included.

Sydney $4,696
Lae $1,464

A family of three spends $6,210 per month in Sydney vs $2,103 in Lae, rent included.

Sydney $6,210
Lae $2,103

Sydney costs about 286% more than Lae, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Sydney sits 137% above the global median, while Lae is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.28

$24.56 PGK 108

-28.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$50.0 PGK 219

94.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.09

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.72

$2.66 PGK 11.67

50.38%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$0.79 PGK 3.47

259.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.25

$0.54 PGK 2.35

320.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.29

$3.27 PGK 14.33

141.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.20

$5.20 PGK 22.78

37.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$2.02 PGK 8.85

-17.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.00

$1.47 PGK 6.42

89.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.33

$1.28 PGK 5.61

81.25%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.92

$3.95 PGK 17.30

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.28

$9.51 PGK 41.69

27.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.09

$8.83 PGK 38.70

11.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.78

$10.71 PGK 46.93

55.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.76

$4.55 PGK 19.94

-11.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.51

$2.78 PGK 12.18

13.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

$6.04 PGK 26.46

-42.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.39

$1.51 PGK 6.64

196.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

$3.49 PGK 15.31

-4.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.39 PGK 10.46

-3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

$0.68 PGK 3.00

244.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.91 PGK 4.00

26.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.4

$6.58 PGK 28.83

584.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.97

$12.02 PGK 52.7

16.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.70

$2.47 PGK 10.81

61.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.82

$4.28 PGK 18.76

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.52

$0.32 PGK 1.39

887.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.94

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.96 PGK 4.23

45.83%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

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

$220 A$315

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

$27.70 A$39.64

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.5

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$106

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.28

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.37

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

$2,157 A$3,087

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$445 PGK 1,951

464.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,478

$260 PGK 1,141

565.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$6,996

$1,193 PGK 5,228

309.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,349

$611 PGK 2,677

397.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,842

$157 PGK 689

2495.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lae: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Lae

–

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Lae

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Lae

–

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Lae

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Lae

–

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Lae

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Lae

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,514 in Sydney versus $445 in Lae. 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 2495% 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 $97.0 in Sydney versus $50.0 in Lae. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $306 – making Lae the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇵🇬 Lae

🕒 Local time

23:09 11:09 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

250,948

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.204 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.204 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Sydney Lae 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Lae

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 Lae: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 286% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,774 per month in Sydney and $1,238 in Lae. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,182 in Sydney and $825 in Lae. That's a gap of about 286%.

Groceries cost about 24% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lae, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Sydney at $3,182. In Lae it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lae – 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 Lae. 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.