Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Roxas

For one person, living is cheaper in Roxas: $379 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,152
/mo nomad
Roxas
🇵🇭 Philippines
$379
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Roxas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $379 in Roxas.

  • Sydney $3,152
  • Roxas $379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $602 in Roxas.

  • Sydney $4,710
  • Roxas $602

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $826 in Roxas.

  • Sydney $6,268
  • Roxas $826

Living in Sydney is roughly 732% more expensive than in Roxas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 133% above, Roxas is 72% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 A$25.29
$2.86 ₱180
514.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.5 A$132
$19.03 ₱1,198
380.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.96 A$17.21
$2.41 ₱152
396.27%
Cappuccino
$4.07 A$5.85
$1.86 ₱117
118.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 A$4.10
$0.46 ₱28.68
519.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 A$3.24
$0.14 ₱8.66
1507.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.60 A$10.94
$1.10 ₱69.4
590.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.43 A$10.69
$1.79 ₱113
315.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 A$2.38
$1.60 ₱101
3.75%
White Bread (500g)
$2.78 A$4.00
$0.88 ₱55.2
215.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.42 A$3.49
$0.89 ₱56.1
171.91%
Eggs
$5.64 A$8.12
$1.88 ₱118
200.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.71 A$16.85
$5.99 ₱377
95.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.66 A$13.89
$3.96 ₱249
143.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.75 A$24.10
$6.34 ₱399
164.20%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 A$5.85
$1.63 ₱103
149.69%
Banana (1kg)
$3.25 A$4.68
$0.94 ₱59.1
245.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.44 A$4.96
$1.25 ₱78.9
175.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.28 A$6.16
$0.77 ₱48.19
455.84%
Potato (1kg)
$3.28 A$4.72
$1.00 ₱63.1
228.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 A$3.30
$0.99 ₱62.3
132.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.30 A$3.31
$1.39 ₱87.3
65.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 A$1.74
$0.77 ₱48.29
57.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$43.71 A$62.9
$2.19 ₱138
1895.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.88 A$19.97
$6.50 ₱409
113.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.90 A$5.62
$1.14 ₱71.6
242.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 A$5.63
$1.29 ₱81.4
203.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.04 A$4.38
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$150 A$216
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.38 A$4.86
$0.83 ₱52.1
307.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 A$2.24
$0.33 ₱20.97
372.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.01 A$57.6
$2.36 ₱149
1595.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 A$2.01
$1.02 ₱63.9
37.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.1K A$41.9K
$21.7K ₱1.4M
34.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.1K A$43.4K
$19.6K ₱1.2M
53.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 A$320
$62.3 ₱3,919
257.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.16 A$39.08
$7.83 ₱493
246.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.8 A$80.3
$21.89 ₱1,378
155.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.6 A$107
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.99 A$34.52
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.56 A$25.27
$4.88 ₱307
259.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,196 A$3,160
$31.94 ₱2,011
6775.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.2K A$40.6K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.4 A$113
$23.93 ₱1,507
227.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$68.4 A$98.5
$17.18 ₱1,082
298.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$160
$55.7 ₱3,504
99.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 A$193
$24.03 ₱1,513
459.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,500 A$3,598
$318 ₱20.0K
686.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,709 A$2,460
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,946 A$7,117
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,022 A$4,349
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.2K A$18.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,370 A$12.0K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Roxas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,113 A$5,919
$575 ₱36.2K
615.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.84
7.33
-20.33%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Roxas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.7K
Roxas
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$379
Roxas
$156 58.7% $222
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$306
Roxas
$92 69.9% $214
Eating Out
Sydney
$299
Roxas
$64 78.6% $235
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$177
Roxas
$54 69.2% $122
Getting Around
Sydney
$174
Roxas
$2.5 * 98.6% $171
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$110
Roxas
$9.8 * 91.1% $100

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 $318 in Roxas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 616% 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 $19.00 in Roxas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $156 per month, with Roxas cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Sydney
🇵🇭 Roxas
🕒 Local time
11:21 11:21 AM
08:21 8:21 AM
3 h behind Sydney
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,840,600
167,003
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney Roxas 5,880 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sydney
  • Roxas

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 Roxas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sydney and in Roxas?
Sydney and Roxas differ by about 732% in total monthly costs ($3,152 vs $379 including rent). Roxas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sydney or Roxas?
Average pay runs 616% 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 Roxas?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,500 in Sydney versus $318 in Roxas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sydney or Roxas?
All in, you'll spend $3,152 per month in Sydney versus $379 in Roxas – a 732% 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 $379 in Roxas versus $3,152 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Roxas but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Roxas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sydney and Roxas?
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 Roxas safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sydney and Roxas 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 Roxas?
Expats usually find Roxas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 732% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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