Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Nanchang

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchang: $648 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
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Nanchang Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$648

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Nanchang

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

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $648 in Nanchang, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Nanchang $648

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $1,058 in Nanchang, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Nanchang $1,058

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $1,467 in Nanchang, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Nanchang $1,467

Sydney costs about 386% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 133% above the global median, while Nanchang is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.17

$2.35 ¥15.71

647.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$131

$18.21 ¥122

402.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.13

$4.81 ¥32.19

148.65%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.83

$2.59 ¥17.29

57.14%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$0.44 ¥2.92

547.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.23

$0.27 ¥1.81

733.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.89

$1.31 ¥8.76

480.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.64

$1.89 ¥12.67

293.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.37

$2.05 ¥13.71

-19.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$3.99

$2.40 ¥16.08

15.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.47

$0.84 ¥5.64

188.10%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.08

$1.67 ¥11.15

237.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.78

$13.25 ¥88.6

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.83

$3.95 ¥26.45

144.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.00

$11.77 ¥78.7

42.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.83

$1.99 ¥13.29

104.52%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.66

$1.08 ¥7.22

200.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.93

$1.91 ¥12.74

80.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.13

$1.81 ¥12.13

136.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.69

$0.91 ¥6.11

260.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.29

$1.13 ¥7.54

103.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.29

$0.61 ¥4.10

277.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.73

$0.43 ¥2.90

181.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.6

$3.07 ¥20.51

1323.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.88

$12.42 ¥83.1

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.59

$0.78 ¥5.20

400.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.60

$1.52 ¥10.19

157.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.36

$0.26 ¥1.75

1069.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$14.93 ¥99.8

906.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.84

$1.24 ¥8.26

172.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.23

$0.31 ¥2.08

403.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.3

$7.29 ¥48.76

448.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.25 ¥8.34

12.00%

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

$29.1K A$41.7K

$19.1K ¥127.7K

52.47%

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

$30.1K A$43.2K

$17.9K ¥119.4K

68.78%

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

$223 A$319

$34.93 ¥234

537.27%

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

$27.16 A$38.91

$9.27 ¥62.0

192.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.0

$13.34 ¥89.3

318.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$42.85 ¥287

74.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.37

$19.61 ¥131

22.34%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.16

$6.42 ¥42.92

173.52%

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

$2,196 A$3,146

$326 ¥2,177

574.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.4K

$16.8K ¥112.2K

67.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$37.86 ¥253

107.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.0

$22.07 ¥148

210.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$87.6 ¥586

27.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$60.7 ¥406

121.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,582

$223 ¥1,493

1019.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,449

$118 ¥791

1344.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,085

$451 ¥3,014

997.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,329

$257 ¥1,719

1075.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$2,008 ¥13.4K

555.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$1,624 ¥10.9K

415.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,893

$745 ¥4,985

451.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.46

68.79%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Nanchang: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Nanchang

$118 18.3% 93.1% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Nanchang

$227 35% 40% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Nanchang

$58 8.9% 81.2% $248

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Nanchang

$77 11.9% 74.1% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Nanchang

$94 14.5% 47% $83

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Nanchang

$19 2.9% 89.2% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Nanchang

$56 8.6% 49.3% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $223 in Nanchang. 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 452% 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 $91.0 in Sydney versus $18.00 in Nanchang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $227 – making Nanchang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

18:17 6:17 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

5,042,566

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Sydney Nanchang 7,890 km ≈ 10 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 Nanchang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney costs about 386% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,728 per month in Sydney and $973 in Nanchang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nanchang, 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 $3,152 in Sydney and $648 in Nanchang. That's a gap of about 386%.

Public transport costs about 906% less in Nanchang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchang, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Nanchang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchang – 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 Nanchang. 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.