Cost of Living · AU vs PH
🇦🇺 Sydney vs 🇵🇭 Manila: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,244 in Australia vs $685 in Philippines — 69% cheaper.
- Essentials, Australia
- $2,244/mo
- Essentials, Philippines
- $685/mo
- Difference
- -69%
- 1-bed city rent, Philippines
- $414/mo
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Philippines
- Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -74%
- Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -74%
- Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -74%
Closest to Australia prices
- Running shoes (brand): -32%
- Jeans (mid-range brand): -32%
- Imported beer, 330ml bottle: -32%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | Australia | Philippines | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,614 | $414 (23,794 PHP) | -74% |
| Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,291 | $331 (19,036 PHP) | -74% |
| Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $2,952 | $757 (43,510 PHP) | -74% |
| Food out | |||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $16.89 | $5.80 (334 PHP) | -66% |
| Dinner for two, mid-range | $70.39 | $24.15 (1,389 PHP) | -66% |
| Fast-food combo meal | $10.38 | $3.93 (226 PHP) | -62% |
| Groceries | |||
| Milk, 1L | $1.05 | $0.48 (28 PHP) | -54% |
| Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.06 | $1.40 (81 PHP) | -54% |
| Eggs, dozen | $3.25 | $1.49 (86 PHP) | -54% |
| Chicken breast, 1kg | $9.55 | $4.39 (252 PHP) | -54% |
| White rice, 1kg | $3.82 | $1.75 (101 PHP) | -54% |
| Apples, 1kg | $4.58 | $2.11 (121 PHP) | -54% |
| Local cheese, 1kg | $11.46 | $5.26 (302 PHP) | -54% |
| Water, 1.5L bottle | $1.91 | $0.88 (51 PHP) | -54% |
| Drinks | |||
| Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $5.63 | $1.93 (111 PHP) | -66% |
| Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $7.82 | $5.30 (305 PHP) | -32% |
| Cappuccino | $4.69 | $1.61 (93 PHP) | -66% |
| Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.20 | $1.01 (58 PHP) | -54% |
| Transport | |||
| Public transport, monthly pass | $61.36 | $23.21 (1,335 PHP) | -62% |
| Public transport, one-way | $2.60 | $0.98 (56 PHP) | -62% |
| Taxi start (normal tariff) | $3.75 | $1.29 (74 PHP) | -66% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.69 | $0.58 (33 PHP) | -66% |
| Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.93 | $0.63 (36 PHP) | -32% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $189 | $71.40 (4,106 PHP) | -62% |
| Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $66.08 | $24.99 (1,437 PHP) | -62% |
| Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $42.48 | $16.06 (924 PHP) | -62% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| Gym membership, month | $46.93 | $16.10 (926 PHP) | -66% |
| Cinema seat | $13.14 | $4.51 (259 PHP) | -66% |
| Men's haircut | $28.16 | $9.66 (556 PHP) | -66% |
| Jeans (mid-range brand) | $53.75 | $36.43 (2,095 PHP) | -32% |
| Running shoes (brand) | $87.95 | $59.61 (3,428 PHP) | -32% |
| Coworking hot desk, month | $235 | $80.51 (4,630 PHP) | -66% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Beyond prices
What each place pays, charges and offers — wages, rent, healthcare, climate, risk and time off. Figures come from the same engines behind the individual tools, so they match what those pages say. They sit about 5,340 km apart as the crow flies.
| Measure | 🇦🇺 Australia | 🇵🇭 Philippines |
|---|---|---|
| Median local wage Monthly, USD. The local midpoint, not an average. | $3,805 | $253 |
| Rent, modelled 1-bed Monthly, USD. | $1,534 | — |
| Rent as % of a local wage Are locals priced out? | 40.3% | — |
| Out-of-pocket healthcare Per person per year, USD. | $1,106 | $86.00 |
| Doctors per 1,000 WHO. | 4.1 | 0.8 |
| Comfortable days a year 18-27 °C and dry. Measured at Sydney and Manila. | 145 | 2 |
| Rule of law World Bank WGI. A survey composite, so the band leads, not the decimal. | very strong | weak |
| Country risk INFORM, 0-10. Lower is safer. | 2.4 (low) | 5.3 (high) |
| Public holidays Observed nationwide; regional days are counted separately. | 6 + 21 regional | 18 |
| Air quality Mean annual PM2.5, µg/m³. WHO guideline is 5. Lower is better. | 6.3 | 16.9 |
| Life expectancy Years at birth — the outcome, not the spending. | 83.1 | 69.9 |
| Homicide rate Per 100,000 a year. A count, not a perception score. | 0.9 | 4.3 |
| Population online % using the internet. Reach, not speed — the row below is speed. | 96.1% | 67.3% |
| Internet download Measured median, Mbps. | 176.8 | 144.8 |
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Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Philippines than Australia?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $685 in Philippines versus $2,244 in Australia — 69% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Philippines?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $1.93 in Philippines (≈ 110.98 PHP), versus about $5.63 in Australia.
- How much is rent in Philippines compared to Australia?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $414/month in Philippines versus $1,614/month in Australia (-74%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.