Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Nanjing

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $841 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $28,100 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$841

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Nanjing

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Sydney versus $841 in Nanjing.

Sydney $3,182
Nanjing $841

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,696 in Sydney versus $1,339 in Nanjing.

Sydney $4,696
Nanjing $1,339

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,210 in Sydney versus $1,837 in Nanjing.

Sydney $6,210
Nanjing $1,837

Living in Sydney is roughly 278% more expensive than in Nanjing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 137% above, Nanjing is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.28

$3.67 ¥24.54

381.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$22.21 ¥148

337.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.09

$4.97 ¥33.22

140.24%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.72

$3.01 ¥20.12

32.89%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$0.50 ¥3.31

468.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.25

$0.27 ¥1.81

740.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.29

$1.45 ¥9.66

444.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.20

$2.29 ¥15.28

211.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$2.16 ¥14.46

-23.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.00

$2.07 ¥13.84

34.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.33

$0.91 ¥6.07

154.95%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.92

$1.35 ¥9.02

309.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.28

$10.64 ¥71.1

13.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.09

$3.02 ¥20.20

225.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.78

$8.97 ¥59.9

85.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.76

$2.09 ¥13.95

92.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.51

$1.28 ¥8.58

146.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

$1.77 ¥11.86

97.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.39

$1.07 ¥7.17

317.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

$0.91 ¥6.08

264.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$0.90 ¥6.05

155.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

$0.93 ¥6.24

151.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$0.52 ¥3.45

121.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.4

$3.75 ¥25.05

1100.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.97

$13.34 ¥89.2

4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.70

$1.01 ¥6.72

294.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.82

$1.56 ¥10.45

160.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.52

$0.31 ¥2.08

919.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$29.72 ¥199

404.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.94

$1.75 ¥11.71

97.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.41 ¥2.77

297.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.2

$8.91 ¥59.6

348.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.37 ¥9.13

2.19%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$19.1K ¥127.8K

48.59%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$16.6K ¥110.6K

77.66%

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

$220 A$315

$53.6 ¥358

310.40%

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

$27.70 A$39.64

$7.59 ¥50.7

264.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.5

$7.28 ¥48.66

662.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$106

$28.49 ¥190

160.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.28

$33.70 ¥225

-28.93%

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.37

$5.86 ¥39.15

202.56%

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

$2,157 A$3,087

$1,459 ¥9,753

47.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.5K

$22.5K ¥150.7K

25.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$43.40 ¥290

80.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$33.88 ¥226

108.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$65.7 ¥439

69.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$86.9 ¥581

51.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$529 ¥3,535

375.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,478

$295 ¥1,974

486.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$6,996

$1,115 ¥7,452

338.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,349

$557 ¥3,722

445.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$5,013 ¥33.5K

163.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.6K

$3,140 ¥21.0K

158.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,842

$1,419 ¥9,485

187.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.42

70.76%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Nanjing

$295 35.1% 82.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Nanjing

$205 24.4% 46.1% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Nanjing

$68 8.1% 77.4% $235

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Nanjing

$95 11.3% 68.2% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Nanjing

$103 12.3% 41.4% $73

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Nanjing

$35 4.1% 80% $139

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Nanjing

$40 4.8% 63.4% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,514 in Sydney and $529 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 188% 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: $97.0 in Sydney vs $22.00 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $205 per month, with Nanjing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

9,314,685

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Sydney Nanjing 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 278% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 188% 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: $2,514 in Sydney versus $529 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nanjing – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $97.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,182 per month in Sydney versus $841 in Nanjing – a 278% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $841 in Nanjing versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing 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 Nanjing 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 Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.