Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chita and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Chita: $1,009 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Chita
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Chita Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Chita

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chita 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 Chita and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,009 in Chita versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Chita $1,009
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,597 in Chita versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Chita $1,597
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,185 in Chita versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Chita $2,185
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Chita costs roughly 65% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chita is 25% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.58 ₽1,070

$17.75 A$25.49

-29.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.35 ₽3,090

$84.8 A$122

-57.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 ₽526

$12.16 A$17.46

-49.18%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₽214

$3.93 A$5.64

-35.88%

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

$1.25 ₽106

$3.14 A$4.51

-60.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₽48.22

$2.43 A$3.49

-76.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 ₽141

$9.90 A$14.22

-83.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ₽272

$8.29 A$11.91

-61.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₽92.6

$1.55 A$2.22

-29.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 ₽64.9

$3.01 A$4.32

-74.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ₽130

$2.88 A$4.14

-46.87%

Eggs

$1.57 ₽134

$5.44 A$7.82

-71.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 ₽1,058

$10.59 A$15.22

17.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ₽442

$9.61 A$13.81

-45.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.25 ₽956

$14.99 A$21.54

-24.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 ₽132

$4.15 A$5.96

-62.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ₽149

$3.05 A$4.38

-42.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 ₽158

$3.30 A$4.74

-43.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 ₽231

$4.76 A$6.83

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 ₽71.7

$3.04 A$4.36

-72.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.60 ₽51.0

$2.55 A$3.66

-76.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ₽112

$2.48 A$3.56

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₽67.5

$1.63 A$2.34

-51.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.64 ₽224

$44.07 A$63.3

-94.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 ₽707

$12.43 A$17.85

-33.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₽73.9

$5.33 A$7.65

-83.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₽169

$5.16 A$7.41

-61.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 ₽44.93

$3.84 A$5.52

-86.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.33 ₽198

$4.40 A$6.32

-47.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₽27.50

$1.40 A$2.01

-77.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 ₽489

$29.83 A$42.84

-80.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 ₽75.3

$1.46 A$2.09

-39.04%

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

$36.4K ₽3.1M

$28.1K A$40.4K

29.29%

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

$35.4K ₽3.0M

$25.9K A$37.3K

36.27%

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

$117 ₽9,940

$233 A$334

-49.75%

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

$5.95 ₽506

$27.28 A$39.19

-78.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.28 ₽704

$57.0 A$81.9

-85.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.94 ₽2,546

$52.7 A$75.7

-43.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 ₽2,048

$22.62 A$32.49

6.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.45 ₽463

$17.10 A$24.57

-68.13%

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

$379 ₽32.3K

$2,373 A$3,409

-84.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,889 ₽500.6K

$30.5K A$43.8K

-80.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 ₽6,852

$78.2 A$112

3.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.8 ₽4,485

$50.5 A$72.5

4.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ₽9,769

$121 A$173

-4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 ₽9,682

$133 A$191

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 ₽37.2K

$1,713 A$2,460

-74.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 ₽26.5K

$1,402 A$2,014

-77.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 ₽74.7K

$3,339 A$4,796

-73.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$537 ₽45.6K

$2,529 A$3,632

-78.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,124 ₽180.6K

$7,018 A$10.1K

-69.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,326 ₽112.8K

$6,767 A$9,721

-80.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$419 ₽35.6K

$4,228 A$6,074

-90.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

5.9

261.53%

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

Last update for Chita: October 5, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chita

$312 30.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 349% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chita

$211 20.4%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 82.8% $174

Eating Out

Chita

$171 16.6%

Melbourne

$314 11% 83.2% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Chita

$163 15.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 5.6% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chita

$131 12.7%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 142% $186

Sport & Entertainment

Chita

$41 4%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 113% $46

Getting Around

Chita

$6.1 * 0.6%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 2677% $162

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Chita and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 909% 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: $36.00 in Chita vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $385 per month, with Chita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Chita

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

12:55 12:55 PM

2 h ahead of Chita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

333,679

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chita Melbourne 10,450 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Chita
Melbourne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chita vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chita and Melbourne differ by about 183% in total monthly costs ($1,009 vs $2,852 including rent). Chita is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 909% 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: $437 in Chita versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,009 per month in Chita versus $2,852 in Melbourne – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,009 in Chita versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chita but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Chita 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, Chita 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 Chita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.