Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changzhou and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Changzhou and in Melbourne

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $741 in Changzhou versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Changzhou $741
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,217 in Changzhou versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Changzhou $1,217
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,694 in Changzhou versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Changzhou $1,694
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Changzhou costs roughly 74% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Changzhou is 45% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.51

$17.43 A$24.97

-83.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.54 ¥191

$84.6 A$121

-66.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.51 ¥30.16

$12.46 A$17.85

-63.80%

Cappuccino

$2.22 ¥14.82

$4.11 A$5.88

-45.99%

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

$0.38 ¥2.55

$3.06 A$4.38

-87.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$2.52 A$3.61

-90.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 ¥4.15

$9.80 A$14.04

-93.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 ¥9.69

$8.57 A$12.28

-83.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.47

$1.48 A$2.13

25.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 ¥8.59

$2.94 A$4.22

-56.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.66

$2.66 A$3.80

-62.41%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.54

$5.54 A$7.94

-68.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.41 ¥49.55

$10.51 A$15.06

-29.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 ¥18.86

$9.65 A$13.82

-70.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.35 ¥82.6

$15.22 A$21.81

-18.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ¥14.44

$3.99 A$5.72

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.58

$3.02 A$4.32

-42.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 ¥13.14

$3.10 A$4.44

-36.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.97

$4.82 A$6.90

-78.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.13

$3.03 A$4.34

-74.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.63

$2.44 A$3.50

-59.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$2.46 A$3.53

-84.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.18

$1.63 A$2.33

-61.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ¥22.03

$44.07 A$63.1

-92.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 ¥70.8

$12.70 A$18.20

-16.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.49

$5.54 A$7.93

-85.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ¥10.45

$5.23 A$7.49

-70.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$3.74 A$5.36

-91.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.32 ¥95.8

$138 A$197

-89.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$4.51 A$6.47

-66.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$1.36 A$1.95

-77.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.57

$30.45 A$43.62

-90.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.47 A$2.11

-10.88%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$29.0K A$41.5K

-41.15%

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

$13.8K ¥92.3K

$26.5K A$37.9K

-47.85%

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

$57.5 ¥385

$234 A$335

-75.39%

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

$8.13 ¥54.3

$27.93 A$40.01

-70.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.66 ¥71.3

$55.7 A$79.9

-80.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.60 ¥272

$49.40 A$70.8

-17.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.75 ¥98.7

$21.48 A$30.77

-31.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 ¥30.53

$15.09 A$21.62

-69.72%

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

$251 ¥1,681

$2,371 A$3,397

-89.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ¥101.1K

$30.2K A$43.3K

-49.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 ¥370

$80.0 A$115

-30.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.58 ¥151

$50.7 A$72.6

-55.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 ¥508

$121 A$173

-36.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.2 ¥510

$130 A$187

-41.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 ¥1,908

$1,759 A$2,520

-83.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 ¥1,529

$1,390 A$1,991

-83.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 ¥6,133

$3,494 A$5,005

-73.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ¥3,312

$2,493 A$3,572

-80.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 ¥19.7K

$6,926 A$9,922

-57.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 ¥10.8K

$6,445 A$9,233

-74.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 ¥7,132

$4,383 A$6,279

-75.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

5.9

-43.22%

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

Last update for Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Changzhou

$229 30.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 508% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Changzhou

$192 25.9%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 100% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Changzhou

$104 14%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 65.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changzhou

$76 10.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 316% $241

Eating Out

Changzhou

$72 9.7%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 337% $243

Sport & Entertainment

Changzhou

$50 6.7%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 60% $30

Getting Around

Changzhou

$19 2.5%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 776% $145

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Changzhou and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 311% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Changzhou vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $384 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

16:04 4:04 PM

3 h ahead of Changzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,278,121

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Changzhou Melbourne 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Changzhou
Melbourne

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

Changzhou vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 281% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 311% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $285 in Changzhou versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Changzhou and Melbourne are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 281% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.