Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Lihir Island

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Lihir Island

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

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

$2.88 A$4.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

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

$241 A$347

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

$27.57 A$39.67

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

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

$2,185 A$3,144

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lihir Island: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Lihir Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Lihir Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Lihir Island

–

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Lihir Island

–

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Lihir Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Lihir Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Lihir Island

–

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇵🇬 Lihir Island

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Lihir Island 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Lihir Island

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 Lihir Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Lihir Island – 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 Lihir Island. 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.