Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,538 per month in Australia vs $719 in China, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,664 per month in Australia vs $1,145 in China, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,789 per month in Australia vs $1,570 in China, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 253% higher than in China on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 85% above the global median, while China is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,207–$3,344) than in China ($458–$1,247), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 A$25.32

$2.90 ¥19.44

525.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$122

$22.13 ¥148

294.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 A$15.41

$5.31 ¥35.61

107.91%

Cappuccino

$4.01 A$5.59

$2.99 ¥20.06

34.11%

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

$2.97 A$4.15

$0.48 ¥3.21

518.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.33

$0.30 ¥2.03

693.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.03

$1.02 ¥6.83

675.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 A$11.11

$2.21 ¥14.83

260.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.55

$1.74 ¥11.67

5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 A$4.02

$1.68 ¥11.24

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.34

$0.96 ¥6.43

148.96%

Eggs

$5.19 A$7.24

$1.54 ¥10.35

237.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$13.88

$13.51 ¥90.7

-26.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 A$12.76

$3.48 ¥23.35

162.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 A$21.32

$11.34 ¥76.1

34.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 A$5.11

$1.88 ¥12.59

94.68%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.29

$1.29 ¥8.68

137.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.52

$1.52 ¥10.18

113.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 A$6.55

$1.27 ¥8.54

270.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.04

$0.72 ¥4.84

302.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.43

$0.88 ¥5.90

179.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 A$3.48

$0.61 ¥4.06

309.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 A$2.46

$0.55 ¥3.72

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$54.2

$3.73 ¥25.04

941.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.50 A$20.24

$11.87 ¥79.6

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$6.87

$0.90 ¥6.04

446.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.14

$1.68 ¥11.28

204.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.12

$0.29 ¥1.94

917.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 A$132

$22.23 ¥149

326.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 A$5.10

$1.52 ¥10.18

140.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.24

$0.37 ¥2.49

335.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.79 A$56.9

$7.33 ¥49.17

456.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.81

$1.22 ¥8.20

6.56%

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

$28.2K A$39.4K

$19.3K ¥129.5K

46.09%

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

$29.5K A$41.2K

$17.1K ¥114.9K

72.52%

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

$204 A$284

$53.8 ¥361

278.63%

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

$29.50 A$41.17

$8.71 ¥58.5

238.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 A$81.9

$10.93 ¥73.3

436.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 A$80.0

$40.74 ¥273

40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.45 A$27.15

$14.53 ¥97.5

33.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 A$21.91

$6.55 ¥43.93

139.69%

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

$2,139 A$2,985

$457 ¥3,066

368.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K A$25.7K

$19.5K ¥130.8K

-5.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 A$113

$45.62 ¥306

76.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 A$80.2

$35.90 ¥241

60.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$163

$76.1 ¥511

53.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 A$178

$76.4 ¥513

66.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 A$2,281

$385 ¥2,582

324.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 A$1,799

$239 ¥1,603

439.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 A$3,453

$840 ¥5,634

194.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 A$2,736

$484 ¥3,246

305.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,452 A$11.8K

$4,581 ¥30.7K

84.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 A$8,585

$2,266 ¥15.2K

171.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,067 A$5,675

$1,065 ¥7,147

281.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

3.47

70.61%

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

Last update for Australia: August 31, 2026

Last update for China: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,423 in Australia vs $294 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,824 in Canberra and $959 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $3,932 in Australia vs $864 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 384% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 305% more in Australia.

Public transport is 371% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 355% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 167% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in China, contributing to the overall 167% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in China, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

China is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.