For one person, living is cheaper in Naga: $558 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Naga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $558 in Naga.
Sydney $3,152
Naga $558
Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $852 in Naga.
Sydney $4,710
Naga $852
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $1,147 in Naga.
Sydney $6,268
Naga $1,147
🌍
Living in Sydney is roughly 465% more expensive than in Naga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 133% above, Naga is 59% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Naga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57A$25.29
$5.26₱331
234.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.5A$132
$13.42₱845
581.67%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.96A$17.21
$2.70₱170
342.96%
Cappuccino
$4.07A$5.85
$2.67₱168
52.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85A$4.10
$0.71₱44.50
301.41%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25A$3.24
$0.25₱15.80
800.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$7.60A$10.94
$1.32₱83.3
475.76%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$7.43A$10.69
$3.14₱197
136.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Naga
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.66A$2.38
$1.95₱123
-14.87%
White Bread(500g)
$2.78A$4.00
$0.85₱53.3
227.06%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.42A$3.49
$0.82₱51.7
195.12%
Eggs
$5.64A$8.12
$1.70₱107
231.76%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.71A$16.85
$10.19₱642
14.92%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.66A$13.89
$4.07₱256
137.35%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.75A$24.10
$6.99₱440
139.63%
Apples(1kg)
$4.07A$5.85
$1.98₱125
105.56%
Banana(1kg)
$3.25A$4.68
$1.63₱102
99.39%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.44A$4.96
$2.44₱154
40.98%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.28A$6.16
$2.43₱153
76.13%
Potato(1kg)
$3.28A$4.72
$2.57₱162
27.63%
Onion(1kg)
$2.30A$3.30
$2.22₱140
3.60%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.30A$3.31
$4.76₱300
-51.68%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21A$1.74
$0.62₱39.28
95.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$43.71A$62.9
$2.89₱182
1412.46%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.88A$19.97
$3.77₱237
268.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.90A$5.62
$1.61₱101
142.24%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91A$5.63
-
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🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Naga
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.04A$4.38
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$150A$216
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.38A$4.86
$0.57₱36.08
492.98%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.56A$2.24
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$40.01A$57.6
-
-
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.40A$2.01
$1.26₱79.4
11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1KA$41.9K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1KA$43.4K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Naga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$223A$320
$99.1₱6,242
124.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.16A$39.08
$23.41₱1,474
16.02%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.8A$80.3
$26.23₱1,651
112.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Naga
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$74.6A$107
$8.07₱508
824.54%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.99A$34.52
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.56A$25.27
$4.80₱302
265.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Naga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,196A$3,160
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$28.2KA$40.6K
$8,052₱507.0K
250.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Naga
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.4A$113
-
-
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.4A$98.5
-
-
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$111A$160
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134A$193
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Naga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,500A$3,598
$158₱9,919
1486.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,709A$2,460
$85.9₱5,411
1888.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$4,946A$7,117
$251₱15.8K
1868.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$3,022A$4,349
$194₱12.2K
1460.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$13.2KA$18.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$8,370A$12.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Naga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$4,113A$5,919
$145₱9,126
2737.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.84
0
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CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026
Last update for Naga: October 12, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.7K 54.2%
Naga
$86 15.4% ↓ 95%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$379 12%
Naga
$206 * 36.9% ↓ 45.6%$173
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$306 9.7%
Naga
$149 26.7% ↓ 51.3%$157
🍽Eating Out
Sydney
$299 9.5%
Naga
$99 17.7% ↓ 66.9%$200
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$177 5.6%
Naga
- * 0% ↓ 100%
🚌Getting Around
Sydney
$174 5.5%
Naga
$0.6 * 0.1% ↓ 99.7%$173
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$110 3.5%
Naga
$18 3.2% ↓ 83.9%$92
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$3K 48.2%
Naga
$194 16.9% ↓ 93.6%$2.8K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$872 13.9%
Naga
$477 * 41.6% ↓ 45.4%$396
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$333 5.3%
Naga
$172 15% ↓ 48.3%$161
🍽Eating Out
Sydney
$1.1K 16.8%
Naga
$268 23.4% ↓ 74.5%$784
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$393 6.3%
Naga
- * 0% ↓ 100%
🚌Getting Around
Sydney
$353 5.6%
Naga
$1.2 * 0.1% ↓ 99.7%$352
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$243 3.9%
Naga
$35 * 3.1% ↓ 85.5%$208
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $158 in Naga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Sydney pays 2738% 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: $91.0 in Sydney vs $13.00 in Naga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $206 per month, with Naga cheaper across the board.
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 Naga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sydney and in Naga?
Sydney and Naga differ by about 465% in total monthly costs ($3,152 vs $558 including rent). Naga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sydney or Naga?
Average pay runs 2738% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sydney and in Naga?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $158 in Naga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Naga – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sydney or Naga?
All in, you'll spend $3,152 per month in Sydney versus $558 in Naga – a 465% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $558 in Naga versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Naga but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Naga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sydney and Naga?
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.
Is Sydney or Naga safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sydney and Naga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Sydney or Naga?
Expats usually find Naga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 465% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.