Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between China and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

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.

39

Cost of Living Index in China
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China Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in China and in Australia

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

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

China $793
Australia $2,542

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

China $1,261
Australia $3,717

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

China $1,730
Australia $4,893

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 China is roughly 69% lower than in Australia on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 ¥19.76

$17.16 A$24.69

-82.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.74 ¥152

$83.9 A$121

-72.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.70

$11.20 A$16.12

-52.32%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥20.35

$3.92 A$5.64

-22.45%

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

$0.48 ¥3.22

$2.83 A$4.07

-83.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.85

$2.30 A$3.31

-87.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.92

$7.68 A$11.06

-86.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$8.25 A$11.87

-72.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.02

$1.76 A$2.53

2.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$2.77 A$3.99

-38.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.69

$2.19 A$3.16

-54.34%

Eggs

$1.56 ¥10.42

$4.99 A$7.18

-68.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 ¥89.8

$9.94 A$14.31

35.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ¥23.28

$9.03 A$12.99

-61.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 ¥76.8

$15.25 A$21.94

-24.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ¥12.00

$3.67 A$5.28

-51.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$3.05 A$4.39

-58.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.92

$3.12 A$4.50

-52.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$4.56 A$6.56

-71.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$2.81 A$4.04

-74.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$2.39 A$3.44

-61.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.35 A$3.39

-74.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.64 A$2.36

-64.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.65

$38.42 A$55.3

-90.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.87 ¥79.4

$13.77 A$19.82

-13.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$4.69 A$6.75

-81.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.33

$5.08 A$7.31

-66.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$2.72 A$3.91

-88.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.36 ¥150

$95.8 A$138

-76.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$3.54 A$5.10

-58.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.53

$1.55 A$2.23

-75.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 ¥47.04

$40.00 A$57.6

-82.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$1.30 A$1.87

-4.62%

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

$19.2K ¥128.5K

$28.2K A$40.5K

-31.75%

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

$17.3K ¥115.6K

$28.5K A$40.9K

-39.22%

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

$54.3 ¥363

$198 A$285

-72.62%

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

$8.34 ¥55.7

$28.75 A$41.37

-70.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.77 ¥72.0

$58.6 A$84.4

-81.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 ¥270

$56.7 A$81.6

-28.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 ¥98.8

$19.08 A$27.46

-22.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 ¥46.08

$15.02 A$21.62

-54.13%

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

$457 ¥3,057

$2,154 A$3,099

-78.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K ¥134.2K

$17.9K A$25.8K

12.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.10 ¥302

$78.0 A$112

-42.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 ¥238

$54.8 A$78.8

-34.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 ¥521

$112 A$161

-30.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 ¥522

$124 A$179

-37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$391 ¥2,615

$1,540 A$2,215

-74.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 ¥1,549

$1,222 A$1,758

-81.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 ¥5,457

$2,478 A$3,566

-67.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 ¥3,070

$1,930 A$2,778

-76.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,585 ¥30.7K

$8,153 A$11.7K

-43.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 ¥15.4K

$6,053 A$8,711

-61.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 ¥7,247

$3,944 A$5,676

-72.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.93

-41.65%

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

Last update for China: October 12, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

China

$232 29.2%

Australia

$1.2K 48.1% 427% $990

Groceries & Markets

China

$211 26.6%

Australia

$370 14.6% 75.3% $159

Clothing & Footwear

China

$107 13.4%

Australia

$166 6.5% 56% $60

Eating Out

China

$89 11.2%

Australia

$293 11.5% 230% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

China

$73 9.3%

Australia

$286 11.2% 289% $212

Sport & Entertainment

China

$54 6.8%

Australia

$87 3.4% 60.2% $33

Getting Around

China

$27 3.4%

Australia

$118 4.6% 338% $91

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $871 in China vs $3,849 in Australia. 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

🇨🇳 China

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

07:39 7:39 AM

3 h ahead of China

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,442,965,000

26,473,055

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

China Australia 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

China
Australia

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

China vs Australia: 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.