Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Yap

For one person, living is cheaper in Yap: $1,895 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Yap

🇫🇲 Micronesia

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Yap

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

A single person spends $3,182 per month in Sydney vs $1,895 in Yap, rent included.

Sydney $3,182
Yap $1,895

A couple spends around $4,696 per month in Sydney vs $2,509 in Yap, rent included.

Sydney $4,696
Yap $2,509

A family of three spends $6,210 per month in Sydney vs $3,123 in Yap, rent included.

Sydney $6,210
Yap $3,123

Sydney costs about 68% more than Yap, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sydney and Yap sit above the global median – Sydney by 137%, Yap by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.28

$30.38 $30.38

-41.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$60.5 $60.5

60.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.09

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.72

$4.41 $4.41

-9.30%

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

$2.84 A$4.06

$1.78 $1.78

59.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.20

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.00

$5.85 $5.85

-52.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.33

$4.53 $4.53

-48.79%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.92

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.28

$5.12 $5.12

135.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.09

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.78

$6.05 $6.05

174.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.76

$4.29 $4.29

-6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.51

$4.49 $4.49

-29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.01

$4.38 $4.38

-20.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.39

$4.37 $4.37

2.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.76

$5.30 $5.30

-37.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$1.63 $1.63

41.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.52 $1.52

-24.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.4

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$19.97

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.70

$3.81 $3.81

4.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.82

$2.99 $2.99

36.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.52

$0.98 $0.98

222.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$21.86 $21.86

586.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.94

$7.46 $7.46

-53.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.2

$5.12 $5.12

680.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.55 $1.55

-9.68%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$3,992 $3,992

611.88%

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

$29.4K A$42.1K

$3,976 $3,976

639.57%

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

$220 A$315

$79.8 $79.8

175.69%

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

$27.70 A$39.64

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.5

$79.9 $79.9

-30.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$106

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.28

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.37

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

$2,157 A$3,087

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$112

$24.41 $24.41

221.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$76.0 $76.0

-7.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$81.0 $81.0

37.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$119 $119

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,598

$987 $987

154.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,478

$994 $994

74.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$6,996

$1,018 $1,018

379.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,349

$995 $995

205.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$1,490 $1,490

786.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.6K

$995 $995

715.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,842

$262 $262

1457.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

400000

-100.00%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Yap: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Yap

–

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Yap

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Yap

–

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Yap

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Yap

–

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Yap

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Yap

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,514 in Sydney versus $987 in Yap. 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 1457% 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 $97.0 in Sydney versus $60.0 in Yap. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $260 – making Yap the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇫🇲 Yap

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

21:14 9:14 PM

1 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

11,577

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Sydney Yap 5,020 km ≈ 7 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 Yap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,182 in Sydney, $1,895 in Yap – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,774 per month in Sydney and $2,843 in Yap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yap, 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 $3,182 in Sydney and $1,895 in Yap. That's a gap of about 68%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Sydney and $60.0 in Yap. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Yap, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Sydney at $3,182. In Yap it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Yap – 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 Yap. 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.