Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $931 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $27,000 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Manila
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Manila Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Manila

🇵🇭 Philippines

$931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Manila

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

A single person spends $3,182 per month in Sydney vs $931 in Manila, rent included.

Sydney $3,182
Manila $931

A couple spends around $4,696 per month in Sydney vs $1,519 in Manila, rent included.

Sydney $4,696
Manila $1,519

A family of three spends $6,210 per month in Sydney vs $2,106 in Manila, rent included.

Sydney $6,210
Manila $2,106

Sydney costs about 242% more than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 137% above the global median, while Manila is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.28

$5.61 ₱352

214.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$27.39 ₱1,718

254.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.09

$3.95 ₱248

202.28%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.72

$2.56 ₱161

56.25%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$1.42 ₱89.1

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.25

$0.81 ₱50.9

180.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.29

$1.17 ₱73.2

574.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.20

$2.36 ₱148

202.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.94 ₱122

-14.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.00

$1.40 ₱88.0

99.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.33

$1.02 ₱64.2

127.45%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.92

$2.29 ₱144

141.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.28

$7.86 ₱493

53.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.09

$4.89 ₱307

101.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.78

$6.77 ₱425

145.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.76

$3.38 ₱212

18.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.51

$1.85 ₱116

70.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

$2.96 ₱186

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.39

$1.79 ₱112

149.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

$2.24 ₱140

48.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.69 ₱168

-14.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

$2.20 ₱138

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.59 ₱37.25

94.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.4

$3.13 ₱196

1338.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.97

$9.42 ₱591

48.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.70

$1.33 ₱83.3

199.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.82

$2.00 ₱125

103.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.52

$0.47 ₱29.46

572.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$12.58 ₱789

1092.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.94

$0.78 ₱48.77

342.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.23 ₱14.43

608.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.2

$1.94 ₱122

1960.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.33 ₱83.5

5.26%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

33.20%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$19.7K ₱1.2M

49.37%

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

$220 A$315

$121 ₱7,614

81.13%

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

$27.70 A$39.64

$16.04 ₱1,006

72.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.5

$24.25 ₱1,521

128.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$106

$43.44 ₱2,724

71.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.28

$5.90 ₱370

305.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.37

$6.63 ₱416

167.42%

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

$2,157 A$3,087

$613 ₱38.4K

252.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.5K

$8,953 ₱561.6K

215.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$58.2 ₱3,647

34.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$27.18 ₱1,704

159.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$77.5 ₱4,862

43.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$57.0 ₱3,574

131.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$534 ₱33.5K

371.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,478

$287 ₱18.0K

503.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$6,996

$1,916 ₱120.2K

155.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,349

$677 ₱42.5K

348.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$4,439 ₱278.4K

197.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.6K

$2,556 ₱160.3K

217.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,842

$485 ₱30.4K

740.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

7.43

-21.40%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Manila

$287 30.2% 83.4% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Manila

$221 23.3% 41.8% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Manila

$162 17% 46.7% $141

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Manila

$107 11.3% 64.3% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Manila

$99 10.4% 43.9% $77

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Manila

$16 1.7% 90.6% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Manila

$57 6% 48.3% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,514 in Sydney versus $534 in Manila. 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 741% 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 $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $221 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇵🇭 Manila

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

14:20 2:20 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

1,780,148 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.42 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, 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 = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 62.72 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.35 PHP (100 PHP = 1.42 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Sydney Manila 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
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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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,182 in Sydney, $931 in Manila – roughly 242% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,774 per month in Sydney and $1,396 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, 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 $931 in Manila. That's a gap of about 242%.

Public transport costs about 1092% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Sydney at $3,182. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $931 in Manila to $3,182 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Manila. 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.