Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Rui'an

For one person, living is cheaper in Rui'an: $715 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $29,600 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Rui'an
Learn more

Rui'an Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Rui'an

🇨🇳 China

$715

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Rui'an

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Sydney versus $715 in Rui'an.

Sydney $3,182
Rui'an $715

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,696 in Sydney versus $1,141 in Rui'an.

Sydney $4,696
Rui'an $1,141

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,210 in Sydney versus $1,566 in Rui'an.

Sydney $6,210
Rui'an $1,566

Living in Sydney is roughly 345% more expensive than in Rui'an, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 137% above, Rui'an is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.38

$2.86 ¥19.11

517.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$140

$21.28 ¥142

356.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.16

$4.79 ¥32.00

149.27%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.75

$2.97 ¥19.85

34.68%

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

$2.84 A$4.07

$0.44 ¥2.93

545.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.26

$0.27 ¥1.80

740.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.34

$0.88 ¥5.85

796.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.24

$2.04 ¥13.61

249.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.39

$1.88 ¥12.53

-11.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.01

$1.61 ¥10.77

73.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$0.96 ¥6.41

141.67%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.95

$1.54 ¥10.32

259.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.36

$12.88 ¥86.1

-6.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.15

$3.10 ¥20.72

217.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.88

$10.28 ¥68.7

61.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.78

$1.80 ¥12.01

123.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$1.20 ¥8.01

162.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.04

$1.49 ¥9.95

134.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.42

$1.10 ¥7.32

306.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$0.75 ¥5.04

342.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.89 ¥5.92

158.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.37

$0.56 ¥3.77

317.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.66

$0.50 ¥3.37

130.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.7

$3.12 ¥20.85

1342.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.06

$10.61 ¥70.9

31.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.72

$0.74 ¥4.96

437.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.84

$1.58 ¥10.57

157.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.54

$0.27 ¥1.78

1070.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$16.92 ¥113

786.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.96

$1.42 ¥9.47

142.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.35 ¥2.37

365.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.5

$6.72 ¥44.88

494.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.13 ¥7.56

23.89%

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

$28.4K A$40.8K

$19.7K ¥132.0K

43.93%

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

$29.4K A$42.3K

$17.4K ¥116.0K

69.40%

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

$220 A$316

$45.23 ¥302

386.16%

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

$27.70 A$39.81

$9.67 ¥64.6

186.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.8

$11.80 ¥78.9

370.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$107

$41.87 ¥280

77.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.42

$13.75 ¥91.9

74.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.48

$5.76 ¥38.46

207.81%

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

$2,157 A$3,100

$329 ¥2,199

555.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.7K

$16.6K ¥110.7K

70.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$43.49 ¥291

80.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$30.24 ¥202

133.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$72.0 ¥481

54.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$72.5 ¥485

81.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,613

$280 ¥1,874

796.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,489

$195 ¥1,301

789.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$7,025

$590 ¥3,941

728.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,367

$354 ¥2,364

758.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$19.0K

$3,050 ¥20.4K

333.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.7K

$1,998 ¥13.3K

306.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,867

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.89

50.13%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rui'an: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Rui'an

$195 27.2% 88.8% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Rui'an

$198 27.6% 48% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Rui'an

$67 9.3% 78% $236

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Rui'an

$84 11.8% 71.9% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Rui'an

$98 13.7% 44.3% $78

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Rui'an

$21 3% 87.8% $153

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Rui'an

$53 7.5% 51.4% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,514 in Sydney and $280 in Rui'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $97.0 in Sydney vs $21.00 in Rui'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $198 per month, with Rui'an cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Rui'an

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

14:21 2:21 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

213,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 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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Sydney Rui'an 7,570 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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 Rui'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rui'an wins on cost – living expenses run 345% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rui'an the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,774 in Sydney and $1,072 in Rui'an 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: $2,514 in Sydney versus $280 in Rui'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rui'an – a meal for two runs $21.00 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 $715 in Rui'an – a 345% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $715 in Rui'an versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rui'an but tight or insufficient in Sydney. The gap between the two cities makes Rui'an 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 Rui'an 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 Rui'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 345% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.