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 $2,182 per month in Australia vs $712 in China, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,216 per month in Australia vs $1,132 in China, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,250 per month in Australia vs $1,551 in China, rent included.

Australia costs about 206% more than China on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 63% above the global median, while China is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Australia has a wider regional cost range ($1,579–$2,759) than China ($520–$1,209), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Australia.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 A$22.54

$2.81 ¥18.98

475.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 A$110

$23.30 ¥158

237.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.21

$5.01 ¥33.87

89.22%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$4.96

$3.01 ¥20.38

18.27%

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

$2.60 A$3.62

$0.45 ¥3.03

477.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.08

$0.29 ¥1.97

662.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$0.95 ¥6.41

581.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.02

$2.05 ¥13.87

250.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.18

$1.76 ¥11.87

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.53

$1.62 ¥10.98

56.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.82

$0.95 ¥6.45

112.63%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.23

$1.56 ¥10.55

186.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.86 A$12.35

$13.06 ¥88.3

-32.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 A$11.68

$3.28 ¥22.17

155.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 A$19.10

$10.65 ¥72.0

28.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.50

$1.78 ¥12.03

81.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$3.96

$1.24 ¥8.42

129.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$1.50 ¥10.12

98.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.10

$1.15 ¥7.79

280.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.41

$0.75 ¥5.07

226.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.94

$0.86 ¥5.81

145.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.02

$0.62 ¥4.17

248.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.21

$0.56 ¥3.81

182.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.61 A$42.65

$3.51 ¥23.76

772.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 A$19.83

$11.66 ¥78.9

22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.55 A$6.34

$0.80 ¥5.40

468.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$6.84

$1.66 ¥11.25

195.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.03

$0.43 ¥2.93

572.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.5 A$136

$20.86 ¥141

367.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.94

$1.37 ¥9.26

158.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.43

$0.35 ¥2.38

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.10 A$53.1

$6.63 ¥44.82

474.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.62

$1.14 ¥7.69

1.75%

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

$28.8K A$40.1K

$19.2K ¥129.7K

50.18%

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

$23.2K A$32.3K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

38.35%

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

$179 A$249

$51.2 ¥346

249.42%

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

$26.75 A$37.27

$10.16 ¥68.7

163.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 A$74.8

$11.51 ¥77.9

366.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.44 A$67.5

$40.53 ¥274

19.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 A$23.52

$15.05 ¥102

12.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 A$18.97

$6.10 ¥41.26

123.11%

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

$1,605 A$2,236

$402 ¥2,719

299.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$17.7K

$17.7K ¥119.5K

-27.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.4 A$99.5

$45.57 ¥308

56.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 A$69.7

$33.26 ¥225

50.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 A$139

$72.6 ¥491

37.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$74.5 ¥503

46.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,385 A$1,930

$429 ¥2,903

222.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 A$1,500

$257 ¥1,739

318.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 A$3,183

$895 ¥6,055

155.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,757 A$2,448

$541 ¥3,660

224.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,462 A$10.4K

$5,015 ¥33.9K

48.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,617 A$7,827

$2,469 ¥16.7K

127.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,070 A$5,672

$1,055 ¥7,132

285.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

4.06

56.40%

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

Last update for Australia: June 1, 2026

Last update for China: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,233 in Australia vs $286 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,548 in Canberra and $916 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $3,906 in Australia vs $861 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 331% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 267% more in Australia.

Public transport is 272% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 354% higher in Australia, giving Australia stronger purchasing power.

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 151% 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 151% 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.