Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chongqing and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $714 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chongqing
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Chongqing Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $714 per month in Chongqing vs $2,852 in Melbourne, rent included.

Chongqing $714
Melbourne $2,852

A couple spends around $1,168 per month in Chongqing vs $4,297 in Melbourne, rent included.

Chongqing $1,168
Melbourne $4,297

A family of three spends $1,622 per month in Chongqing vs $5,742 in Melbourne, rent included.

Chongqing $1,622
Melbourne $5,742

Chongqing is about 75% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chongqing sits 47% below the global median, while Melbourne is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.64 ¥17.67

$17.75 A$25.40

-85.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.05 ¥147

$84.8 A$121

-74.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 ¥31.20

$12.16 A$17.40

-61.60%

Cappuccino

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.93 A$5.62

-47.58%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$3.14 A$4.49

-86.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$2.43 A$3.47

-87.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 ¥8.02

$9.90 A$14.17

-87.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.71

$8.29 A$11.86

-78.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ¥12.85

$1.55 A$2.21

23.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ¥10.56

$3.01 A$4.31

-47.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.25

$2.88 A$4.12

-77.78%

Eggs

$2.16 ¥14.42

$5.44 A$7.79

-60.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.55 ¥117

$10.59 A$15.16

65.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.37 ¥22.55

$9.61 A$13.76

-64.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.08 ¥67.4

$14.99 A$21.46

-32.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 ¥10.43

$4.15 A$5.94

-62.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 ¥9.01

$3.05 A$4.37

-55.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$3.30 A$4.72

-62.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.32

$4.76 A$6.81

-73.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ¥4.07

$3.04 A$4.34

-79.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$2.55 A$3.65

-63.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ¥5.83

$2.48 A$3.55

-64.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$1.63 A$2.33

-61.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ¥20.51

$44.07 A$63.1

-93.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.95 ¥59.8

$12.43 A$17.79

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$5.33 A$7.63

-85.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.93

$5.16 A$7.38

-68.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$3.84 A$5.50

-89.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.16 ¥148

$142 A$203

-84.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$4.40 A$6.29

-65.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$1.40 A$2.01

-79.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 ¥19.81

$29.83 A$42.69

-90.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.46 A$2.09

-13.70%

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

$19.5K ¥130.3K

$28.1K A$40.3K

-30.73%

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

$16.8K ¥112.4K

$25.9K A$37.1K

-35.17%

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

$44.19 ¥295

$233 A$333

-81.01%

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

$6.95 ¥46.43

$27.28 A$39.04

-74.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.17 ¥47.91

$57.0 A$81.6

-87.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 ¥339

$52.7 A$75.4

-3.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.64 ¥71.1

$22.62 A$32.37

-52.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 ¥39.71

$17.10 A$24.48

-65.26%

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

$290 ¥1,939

$2,373 A$3,397

-87.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K ¥171.0K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-16.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.88 ¥267

$78.2 A$112

-49.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.80 ¥199

$50.5 A$72.2

-40.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 ¥433

$121 A$172

-46.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.7 ¥419

$133 A$191

-52.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 ¥2,790

$1,713 A$2,451

-75.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ¥1,338

$1,402 A$2,006

-85.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 ¥5,879

$3,339 A$4,778

-73.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 ¥2,767

$2,529 A$3,619

-83.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,681 ¥17.9K

$7,018 A$10.0K

-61.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 ¥11.4K

$6,767 A$9,685

-74.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,111 ¥7,423

$4,228 A$6,051

-73.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

5.9

-43.39%

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

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chongqing

$213 29.5%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 81.1% $173

Accommodation & Living

Chongqing

$200 27.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 600% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Chongqing

$89 12.3%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 93.9% $83

Eating Out

Chongqing

$72 10%

Melbourne

$314 11% 334% $242

Sport & Entertainment

Chongqing

$63 8.7%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 38.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chongqing

$58 8.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 444% $259

Getting Around

Chongqing

$27 3.7%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 531% $142

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Chongqing versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 281% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Chongqing versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $213 vs $385 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

18:30 6:30 PM

3 h ahead of Chongqing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,564,449

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chongqing Melbourne 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chongqing
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

Chongqing vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 299%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,071 per month in Chongqing and $4,277 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chongqing, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $290 per month in Chongqing and $2,373 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Melbourne at $2,852. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chongqing. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.