Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Luoyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Luoyang: $659 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $31,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Luoyang
Learn more

Luoyang Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Luoyang

🇨🇳 China

$659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Luoyang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,245 in Sydney versus $659 in Luoyang.

Sydney $3,245
Luoyang $659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,803 in Sydney versus $1,067 in Luoyang.

Sydney $4,803
Luoyang $1,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,362 in Sydney versus $1,475 in Luoyang.

Sydney $6,362
Luoyang $1,475

Living in Sydney is roughly 392% more expensive than in Luoyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 139% above, Luoyang is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$3.69 ¥24.67

371.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$29.56 ¥198

205.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$5.74 ¥38.40

107.67%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$3.69 ¥24.68

9.21%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$0.46 ¥3.11

526.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$0.27 ¥1.82

725.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$1.26 ¥8.41

526.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$3.04 ¥20.35

123.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.93 ¥12.89

-11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.26 ¥15.08

30.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$1.04 ¥6.94

141.35%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$1.42 ¥9.53

290.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$13.38 ¥89.5

-12.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$3.43 ¥22.95

170.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$9.18 ¥61.4

81.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$0.96 ¥6.41

308.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$1.31 ¥8.79

141.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$1.50 ¥10.02

132.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$1.26 ¥8.44

247.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$0.73 ¥4.90

356.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$0.87 ¥5.85

175.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$0.43 ¥2.90

437.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.83 ¥5.56

38.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$1.68 ¥11.20

2539.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$13.35 ¥89.3

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$0.44 ¥2.92

809.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$2.13 ¥14.23

89.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$0.29 ¥1.93

1010.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$17.84 ¥119

763.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$1.23 ¥8.22

190.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$0.36 ¥2.38

338.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$7.04 ¥47.06

460.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.29 ¥8.60

14.73%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$19.6K ¥131.0K

50.85%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$17.5K ¥117.0K

58.12%

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

$241 A$347

$43.38 ¥290

456.43%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$5.90 ¥39.43

367.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$10.57 ¥70.7

432.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$22.85 ¥153

241.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$11.74 ¥78.5

98.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$5.53 ¥36.96

217.36%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$197 ¥1,315

1011.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$17.6K ¥117.7K

57.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$49.15 ¥329

62.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$30.13 ¥201

134.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$66.0 ¥441

67.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$78.9 ¥527

64.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$188 ¥1,258

1216.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$126 ¥840

1314.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$439 ¥2,936

1012.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$225 ¥1,507

1272.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$2,154 ¥14.4K

522.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$1,409 ¥9,422

494.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

$637 ¥4,259

539.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

4.45

33.03%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Luoyang: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Luoyang

$126 19.1% 92.9% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Luoyang

$210 31.9% 44.4% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Luoyang

$60 9.1% 81.6% $265

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Luoyang

$106 16.1% 64.2% $190

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Luoyang

$22 3.3% 87.7% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Luoyang

$101 15.3% 42.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Luoyang

$34 5.2% 70.1% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Sydney and $188 in Luoyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 539% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sydney vs $30.00 in Luoyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $210 per month, with Luoyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Luoyang

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

18:45 6:45 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

1,926,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Luoyang 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Luoyang

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 Luoyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luoyang wins on cost – living expenses run 392% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luoyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 539% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,477 in Sydney versus $188 in Luoyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,185 in Sydney versus $197 in Luoyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $659 in Luoyang versus $3,245 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Luoyang but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Luoyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sydney and Luoyang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Luoyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 392% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.