Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Pagadian

For one person, living is cheaper in Pagadian: $717 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $29,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
Learn more

Sydney Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Pagadian
Learn more

Pagadian Living Index

Jump to prices

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Pagadian

🇵🇭 Philippines

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Pagadian

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $717 in Pagadian.

Sydney $3,152
Pagadian $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $1,100 in Pagadian.

Sydney $4,710
Pagadian $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $1,483 in Pagadian.

Sydney $6,268
Pagadian $1,483

Living in Sydney is roughly 340% more expensive than in Pagadian, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 133% above, Pagadian is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$3.81 ₱240

361.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$16.55 ₱1,042

452.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$2.77 ₱174

331.77%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$1.93 ₱121

110.88%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.87 ₱54.7

227.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.23 ₱14.39

878.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$1.42 ₱89.3

435.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$1.99 ₱125

273.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.70 ₱107

-2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.05 ₱65.8

164.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$0.93 ₱58.5

160.22%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$1.63 ₱102

246.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$4.93 ₱310

137.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$4.10 ₱258

135.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$6.05 ₱381

176.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.60 ₱163

56.54%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$1.44 ₱90.8

125.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$2.53 ₱159

35.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$1.00 ₱62.8

328.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$1.77 ₱111

85.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.96 ₱123

17.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.90 ₱56.7

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$0.64 ₱40.28

89.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$3.12 ₱197

1300.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$8.03 ₱506

72.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$1.02 ₱64.2

282.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$1.71 ₱107

128.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$0.26 ₱16.36

1069.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$10.91 ₱687

1276.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$0.73 ₱46.09

363.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.25 ₱15.71

524.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$1.89 ₱119

2016.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.06 ₱66.9

32.08%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$19.0K ₱1.2M

53.36%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$17.9K ₱1.1M

68.70%

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

$223 A$320

$122 ₱7,687

82.31%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$15.52 ₱977

75.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$24.08 ₱1,516

131.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$35.90 ₱2,260

107.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$4.29 ₱270

459.21%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$5.59 ₱352

214.13%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$129 ₱8,114

1604.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$6,823 ₱429.6K

313.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$34.11 ₱2,148

129.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$17.27 ₱1,088

296.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$74.9 ₱4,719

48.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$56.0 ₱3,527

139.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$263 ₱16.5K

851.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$161 ₱10.2K

958.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$509 ₱32.0K

872.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$358 ₱22.5K

744.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$2,576 ₱162.2K

411.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$989 ₱62.2K

746.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.79

-13.99%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pagadian: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Pagadian

$161 22.5% 90.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Pagadian

$173 24.1% 54.3% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Pagadian

$162 22.6% 47.1% $144

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Pagadian

$77 10.8% 74.1% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Pagadian

$82 11.5% 53.5% $95

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Pagadian

$14 1.9% 92% $160

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Pagadian

$47 6.6% 57.1% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $263 in Pagadian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Sydney vs $17.00 in Pagadian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $173 per month, with Pagadian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇵🇭 Pagadian

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

10:30 10:30 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

199,060

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sydney Pagadian 5,480 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Pagadian

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 Pagadian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Pagadian differ by about 340% in total monthly costs ($3,152 vs $717 including rent). Pagadian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,728 in Sydney and $1,075 in Pagadian to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $263 in Pagadian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Pagadian – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $91.0 in Sydney. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,152 per month in Sydney versus $717 in Pagadian – a 340% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $717 in Pagadian versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pagadian but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Pagadian 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 Pagadian 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 Pagadian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 340% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.