Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Zhubei City

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhubei City: $1,055 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Zhubei City
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Zhubei City Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Zhubei City

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Zhubei City

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

A single person spends $3,152 per month in Sydney vs $1,055 in Zhubei City, rent included.

Sydney $3,152
Zhubei City $1,055

A couple spends around $4,710 per month in Sydney vs $1,841 in Zhubei City, rent included.

Sydney $4,710
Zhubei City $1,841

A family of three spends $6,268 per month in Sydney vs $2,627 in Zhubei City, rent included.

Sydney $6,268
Zhubei City $2,627

Sydney costs about 199% more than Zhubei City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sydney sits 133% above the global median, while Zhubei City is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$4.83 NT$157

263.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$28.00 NT$908

226.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$5.07 NT$164

135.90%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$2.89 NT$93.8

40.83%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$0.91 NT$29.41

213.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$0.59 NT$19.02

281.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$1.93 NT$62.5

293.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$2.33 NT$75.6

218.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$2.79 NT$90.4

-40.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$1.87 NT$60.7

48.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$4.59 NT$149

-47.28%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$2.85 NT$92.5

97.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$24.76 NT$803

-52.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$8.37 NT$271

15.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$25.93 NT$841

-35.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$4.04 NT$131

0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$2.42 NT$78.5

34.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$2.69 NT$87.3

27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$3.27 NT$106

30.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$3.02 NT$97.9

8.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.02 NT$65.5

13.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.06 NT$66.9

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$1.33 NT$43.25

-9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$3.88 NT$126

1026.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$9.23 NT$299

50.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$1.43 NT$46.36

172.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$2.33 NT$75.4

67.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$0.61 NT$19.85

398.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$3.10 NT$101

9.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$0.64 NT$20.76

143.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$9.25 NT$300

332.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.99 NT$32.17

41.41%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$33.5K NT$1.1M

-12.98%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$24.8K NT$805.7K

21.27%

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

$223 A$320

$103 NT$3,331

116.73%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$18.96 NT$615

43.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$22.80 NT$739

144.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$31.40 NT$1,018

137.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$9.99 NT$324

75.78%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$646 NT$20.9K

240.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$16.5K NT$533.8K

71.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$57.7 NT$1,870

36.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$31.13 NT$1,010

119.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$90.8 NT$2,946

22.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$99.0 NT$3,209

35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$501 NT$16.2K

399.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$217 NT$7,032

688.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$1,100 NT$35.7K

349.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$768 NT$24.9K

293.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$16.2K NT$525.9K

-18.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$9,751 NT$316.2K

-14.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$2,391 NT$77.5K

72.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

2.4

143.33%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Zhubei City: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Zhubei City

$217 20.6% 87.3% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Zhubei City

$400 37.9% 5.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Zhubei City

$144 13.7% 52.7% $161

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Zhubei City

$109 10.3% 63.6% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Zhubei City

$125 11.9% 29% $51

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Zhubei City

$8.8 * 0.8% 95% $165

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Zhubei City

$51 4.9% 53.2% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,500 in Sydney versus $501 in Zhubei City. 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 72% 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 $91.0 in Sydney versus $28.00 in Zhubei City. Groceries tell a different story – $379 in Sydney vs $400 in Zhubei City – so Sydney wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇹🇼 Zhubei City

🕒 Local time

11:11 11:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

211,746

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sydney Zhubei City 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
Zhubei City

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 Zhubei City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,152 in Sydney, $1,055 in Zhubei City – roughly 199% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,728 per month in Sydney and $1,583 in Zhubei City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zhubei City, 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 $3,152 in Sydney and $1,055 in Zhubei City. That's a gap of about 199%.

Kindergarten costs $2,196 per month in Sydney and $646 in Zhubei City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhubei City, where all-in costs run around $1,055, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Zhubei City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhubei City – 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 Zhubei City. 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.