Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and China

Name: China
Address: CN

For one person, living is cheaper in China: $793 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
Learn more

Australia Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in China
Learn more

China Living Index

Jump to prices

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in China

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in China actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,542 per month in Australia vs $793 in China, rent included.

Australia $2,542
China $793

A couple spends around $3,717 per month in Australia vs $1,261 in China, rent included.

Australia $3,717
China $1,261

A family of three spends $4,893 per month in Australia vs $1,730 in China, rent included.

Australia $4,893
China $1,730

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,646–$3,152) than in China ($466–$1,244), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is about 221% higher than in China on average.

Australia sits 88% above the global median, while China is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 A$24.69

$2.96 ¥19.76

479.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$22.74 ¥152

269.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 A$16.12

$5.34 ¥35.70

109.74%

Cappuccino

$3.92 A$5.64

$3.04 ¥20.35

28.95%

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

$2.83 A$4.07

$0.48 ¥3.22

489.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.28 ¥1.85

721.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 A$11.06

$1.03 ¥6.92

645.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.87

$2.27 ¥15.16

263.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$1.80 ¥12.02

-2.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.99

$1.69 ¥11.28

63.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.16

$1.00 ¥6.69

119.00%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.18

$1.56 ¥10.42

219.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$14.31

$13.44 ¥89.8

-26.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$3.48 ¥23.28

159.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 A$21.94

$11.49 ¥76.8

32.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 A$5.28

$1.79 ¥12.00

105.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$1.26 ¥8.41

142.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.50

$1.48 ¥9.92

110.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.56

$1.31 ¥8.76

248.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$0.72 ¥4.84

290.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.44

$0.93 ¥6.24

156.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.39

$0.61 ¥4.11

285.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.36

$0.58 ¥3.89

182.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.42 A$55.3

$3.84 ¥25.65

900.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$11.87 ¥79.4

16.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.75

$0.86 ¥5.72

445.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 A$7.31

$1.69 ¥11.33

200.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.91

$0.31 ¥2.07

777.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$138

$22.36 ¥150

328.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.10

$1.47 ¥9.82

140.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$0.38 ¥2.53

307.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.00 A$57.6

$7.03 ¥47.04

468.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.24 ¥8.32

4.84%

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

$28.2K A$40.5K

$19.2K ¥128.5K

46.52%

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

$28.5K A$40.9K

$17.3K ¥115.6K

64.54%

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

$198 A$285

$54.3 ¥363

265.17%

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

$28.75 A$41.37

$8.34 ¥55.7

244.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$84.4

$10.77 ¥72.0

444.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.6

$40.39 ¥270

40.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.08 A$27.46

$14.77 ¥98.8

29.18%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 A$21.62

$6.89 ¥46.08

118.00%

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

$2,154 A$3,099

$457 ¥3,057

371.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K A$25.8K

$20.1K ¥134.2K

-10.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$45.10 ¥302

72.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$78.8

$35.65 ¥238

53.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$77.9 ¥521

43.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$179

$78.0 ¥522

59.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 A$2,215

$391 ¥2,615

293.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,758

$232 ¥1,549

427.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 A$3,566

$816 ¥5,457

203.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 A$2,778

$459 ¥3,070

320.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,153 A$11.7K

$4,585 ¥30.7K

77.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,053 A$8,711

$2,309 ¥15.4K

162.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,944 A$5,676

$1,084 ¥7,247

263.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

3.46

71.39%

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

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48.1%

China

$232 29.2% 81% $990

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.6%

China

$211 26.6% 43% $159

Eating Out

Australia

$293 11.5%

China

$89 11.2% 69.7% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$286 11.2%

China

$73 9.3% 74.3% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

China

$107 13.4% 35.9% $60

Getting Around

Australia

$118 4.6%

China

$27 3.4% 77.2% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

China

$54 6.8% 37.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,366 in Australia vs $298 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,716 in Canberra and $940 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $3,849 in Australia vs $871 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 358% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 290% more in Australia.

Public transport is 341% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 342% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇨🇳 China

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

3 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

1,442,965,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Australia China 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
China

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

Australia vs China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

China is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 221% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $298 in China.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in China, adding to the overall 221% price gap.

$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.