Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Longyan

For one person, living is cheaper in Longyan: $462 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $33,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,245
/mo nomad
Longyan
🇨🇳 China
$462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Longyan

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

A single person spends $3,245 per month in Sydney vs $462 in Longyan, rent included.

  • Sydney $3,245
  • Longyan $462

A couple spends around $4,803 per month in Sydney vs $750 in Longyan, rent included.

  • Sydney $4,803
  • Longyan $750

A family of three spends $6,362 per month in Sydney vs $1,038 in Longyan, rent included.

  • Sydney $6,362
  • Longyan $1,038

Sydney costs about 603% more than Longyan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 139% above the global median, while Longyan is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.41 A$25.05
$2.95 ¥19.74
490.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.3 A$130
$22.57 ¥151
299.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 A$17.15
$4.96 ¥33.19
140.32%
Cappuccino
$4.03 A$5.80
$2.20 ¥14.72
83.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 A$4.15
$0.44 ¥2.94
554.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 A$3.20
$0.27 ¥1.79
725.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.89 A$11.36
$0.88 ¥5.87
796.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.78 A$9.76
$1.60 ¥10.68
323.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.71 A$2.45
$2.08 ¥13.90
-17.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.94 A$4.23
$1.42 ¥9.47
107.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.51 A$3.61
$0.78 ¥5.22
221.79%
Eggs
$5.55 A$7.99
$1.48 ¥9.90
275.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 A$16.94
$7.63 ¥51.0
54.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.28 A$13.35
$2.18 ¥14.61
325.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.70 A$24.03
$8.99 ¥60.1
85.76%
Apples (1kg)
$3.92 A$5.64
$1.89 ¥12.63
107.41%
Banana (1kg)
$3.16 A$4.55
$1.34 ¥8.95
135.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.48 A$5.00
$1.77 ¥11.83
96.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.38 A$6.31
$1.12 ¥7.48
291.07%
Potato (1kg)
$3.33 A$4.79
$0.89 ¥5.97
274.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.40 A$3.46
$1.01 ¥6.75
137.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.31 A$3.32
$0.43 ¥2.90
437.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 A$1.65
$0.48 ¥3.21
139.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.34 A$63.8
$3.42 ¥22.85
1196.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.71 A$19.72
$12.16 ¥81.3
12.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.00 A$5.75
$0.78 ¥5.21
412.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.03 A$5.80
$1.18 ¥7.89
241.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.22 A$4.63
$0.16 ¥1.08
1912.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$154 A$222
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 A$5.14
$1.06 ¥7.10
236.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 A$2.27
$0.47 ¥3.12
236.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.44 A$56.8
$7.57 ¥50.6
421.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 A$2.13
$1.31 ¥8.76
12.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K A$42.5K
$19.3K ¥129.1K
53.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K A$39.8K
$15.6K ¥104.3K
77.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 A$347
$66.3 ¥443
264.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.57 A$39.67
$15.68 ¥105
75.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$56.3 A$81.0
$8.86 ¥59.3
535.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.1 A$112
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.26 A$33.47
$4.40 ¥29.44
428.64%
Cinema Ticket
$17.55 A$25.26
$7.61 ¥50.9
130.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,185 A$3,144
$213 ¥1,425
925.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.8K A$40.0K
$11.7K ¥78.4K
136.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$80.0 A$115
$29.86 ¥200
167.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.7 A$102
$14.92 ¥99.8
373.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$159
$76.0 ¥508
45.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 A$186
$98.4 ¥658
31.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
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
$377 ¥2,518
1197.44%
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
$1,338 ¥8,949
525.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Longyan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,074 A$5,862
$485 ¥3,243
739.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.92
3.46
71.10%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Longyan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.8K
Longyan
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$378
Longyan
$178 53% $200
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$325
Longyan
$91 72.1% $234
Eating Out
Sydney
$297
Longyan
$75 74.6% $221
Getting Around
Sydney
$178
Longyan
$4 * 97.7% $174
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$176
Longyan
$99 43.9% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$113
Longyan
$15 * 86.6% $98

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 740% 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 $90.0 in Sydney versus $23.00 in Longyan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $178 – making Longyan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Sydney
🇨🇳 Longyan
🕒 Local time
14:23 2:23 PM
11:23 11:23 AM
3 h behind Sydney
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,840,600
2,559,545
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney Longyan 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sydney
  • Longyan

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 Longyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sydney and in Longyan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,245 in Sydney, $462 in Longyan – roughly 603% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sydney compared to Longyan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,867 per month in Sydney and $693 in Longyan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Sydney and $23.00 in Longyan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 113% more in Sydney, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Longyan, where all-in costs run around $462, than in Sydney at $3,245. In Longyan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Sydney or Longyan?
Families tend to lean toward Longyan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Sydney or Longyan safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Sydney and Longyan?
If budget matters most, go with Longyan. 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.

Sydney vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?