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 $2,185 per month in Australia vs $712 in China, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $1,131 in China, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $1,550 in China, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 207% higher than in China on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while China is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,575–$2,824) than in China ($532–$1,192), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.17

$2.86 ¥19.35

466.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$23.44 ¥159

229.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.56

$4.84 ¥32.75

95.66%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.95

$3.11 ¥21.06

11.25%

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

$2.68 A$3.84

$0.44 ¥3.00

509.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.13

$0.29 ¥1.99

655.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.46

$0.98 ¥6.64

574.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.17

$2.05 ¥13.88

246.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.84 ¥12.47

-15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.54

$1.62 ¥10.94

52.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$0.93 ¥6.28

125.81%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.07

$1.63 ¥11.03

160.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.27

$13.15 ¥89.0

-34.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.31

$3.26 ¥22.09

163.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.78

$10.62 ¥71.9

30.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.55

$1.80 ¥12.19

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.89

$1.30 ¥8.77

109.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.24

$1.46 ¥9.90

102.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$1.20 ¥8.15

259.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.53

$0.76 ¥5.14

225.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$0.88 ¥5.93

138.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.14

$0.57 ¥3.86

284.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.19

$0.54 ¥3.63

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.80

$3.42 ¥23.17

814.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.96

$11.75 ¥79.5

18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.39

$0.80 ¥5.40

457.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.17

$1.62 ¥10.95

209.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.30

$0.43 ¥2.94

597.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

$20.47 ¥139

368.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.10

$1.36 ¥9.24

161.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

$0.35 ¥2.39

400.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.2

$6.50 ¥43.97

482.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.12 ¥7.59

2.68%

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

$29.4K A$42.0K

$19.5K ¥131.8K

50.80%

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$16.9K ¥114.1K

36.89%

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

$174 A$248

$51.7 ¥350

235.63%

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

$26.88 A$38.49

$10.17 ¥68.8

164.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.5

$11.16 ¥75.5

372.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.3

$39.62 ¥268

20.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.64

$14.53 ¥98.3

13.63%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.66

$6.38 ¥43.19

115.20%

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

$1,555 A$2,226

$407 ¥2,756

281.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

$17.8K ¥120.7K

-28.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.6

$45.53 ¥308

52.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.4

$32.31 ¥219

58.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

$72.6 ¥491

39.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$161

$74.4 ¥504

50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,946

$443 ¥2,996

206.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,546

$258 ¥1,747

318.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,294

$910 ¥6,162

152.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,507

$543 ¥3,677

222.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$4,934 ¥33.4K

54.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,249

$2,398 ¥16.2K

140.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,760

$1,065 ¥7,205

277.89%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for China: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $287 in China. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $894 in Beijing (Pekin).

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $855 in China. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 329% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 267% more in Australia.

Public transport is 272% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 342% 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 155% 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 155% 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.