Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douliu and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Douliu: $1,138 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Douliu
🇹🇼 Taiwan
$1,138
/mo nomad
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,821
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Douliu vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Douliu $1,138
  • Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $1,894 per month in Douliu vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Douliu $1,894
  • Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $2,650 per month in Douliu vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Douliu $2,650
  • Melbourne $5,650

Douliu is about 60% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Douliu sits 16% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.85 NT$125
$17.43 A$25.08
-77.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.40 NT$726
$84.6 A$122
-73.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.81 NT$189
$12.46 A$17.92
-53.37%
Cappuccino
$3.40 NT$110
$4.11 A$5.91
-17.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 NT$30.58
$3.06 A$4.40
-69.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.67 NT$21.86
$2.52 A$3.62
-73.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.79 NT$90.4
$9.80 A$14.10
-71.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.73 NT$121
$8.57 A$12.33
-56.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.09 NT$100
$1.48 A$2.14
108.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.01 NT$65.1
$2.94 A$4.23
-31.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.17 NT$103
$2.66 A$3.82
19.17%
Eggs
$2.76 NT$89.4
$5.54 A$7.97
-50.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.44 NT$631
$10.51 A$15.13
84.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.97 NT$323
$9.65 A$13.89
3.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.44 NT$695
$15.22 A$21.91
40.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.79 NT$155
$3.99 A$5.75
20.05%
Banana (1kg)
$3.29 NT$107
$3.02 A$4.34
8.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.08 NT$99.9
$3.10 A$4.46
-0.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 NT$141
$4.82 A$6.93
-9.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.82 NT$91.3
$3.03 A$4.36
-6.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 NT$75.9
$2.44 A$3.52
-4.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 NT$55.6
$2.46 A$3.54
-30.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 NT$35.65
$1.63 A$2.34
-32.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85 NT$125
$44.07 A$63.4
-91.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.46 NT$469
$12.70 A$18.28
13.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 NT$52.9
$5.54 A$7.97
-70.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 NT$75.0
$5.23 A$7.52
-55.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.61 NT$19.89
$3.74 A$5.38
-83.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.53 NT$1,152
$138 A$198
-74.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.66 NT$86.3
$4.51 A$6.50
-41.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.77 NT$24.82
$1.36 A$1.96
-43.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.46 NT$307
$30.45 A$43.81
-68.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 NT$33.56
$1.47 A$2.12
-29.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K NT$1.1M
$29.0K A$41.7K
17.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K NT$777.6K
$26.5K A$38.1K
-9.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.6 NT$2,807
$234 A$336
-62.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.15 NT$556
$27.93 A$40.19
-38.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.79 NT$901
$55.7 A$80.2
-50.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.37 NT$1,179
$49.40 A$71.1
-26.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.48 A$30.91
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.54 NT$309
$15.09 A$21.72
-36.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$663 NT$21.5K
$2,371 A$3,412
-72.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.0K NT$550.7K
$30.2K A$43.5K
-43.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.5 NT$2,091
$80.0 A$115
-19.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.75 NT$1,321
$50.7 A$73.0
-19.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.0 NT$2,756
$121 A$174
-29.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 NT$3,408
$130 A$188
-19.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$404 NT$13.1K
$1,759 A$2,531
-77.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$257 NT$8,334
$1,390 A$2,000
-81.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$982 NT$31.8K
$3,494 A$5,027
-71.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$730 NT$23.7K
$2,493 A$3,588
-70.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 NT$254.1K
$6,926 A$9,967
13.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,924 NT$159.7K
$6,445 A$9,274
-23.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Douliu
Melbourne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,544 NT$82.5K
$4,383 A$6,307
-41.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.4
5.9
-59.32%

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

Last update for Douliu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Douliu
$400
Melbourne
$384 3.9% $16
Accommodation & Living
Douliu
$257
Melbourne
$1.4K 441% $1.1K
Clothing & Footwear
Douliu
$133
Melbourne
$172 29.2% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Douliu
$132
Melbourne
$317 141% $186
Eating Out
Douliu
$117
Melbourne
$315 169% $198
Sport & Entertainment
Douliu
$55
Melbourne
$80 43.6% $24
Getting Around
Douliu
$44
Melbourne
$164 268% $119

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Douliu versus $1,759 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 72% 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 Douliu versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries tell a different story – $400 in Douliu vs $384 in Melbourne – so Melbourne wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇼 Douliu
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🕒 Local time
08:50 8:50 AM
11:50 11:50 AM
3 h ahead of Douliu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
108,401
5,031,195
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Douliu Melbourne 7,300 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Douliu
  • 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
Douliu vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Douliu or Melbourne?
Melbourne costs about 148% more than Douliu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Douliu and in Melbourne?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,707 per month in Douliu and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Douliu or Melbourne?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Douliu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Douliu and in Melbourne?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $22.00 in Douliu and $85.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Douliu compared to Melbourne?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,138 in Douliu and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 148%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Douliu or in Melbourne?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Douliu, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Douliu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Douliu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Douliu compared to Melbourne?
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.
Should I move to Douliu or to Melbourne?
If budget matters most, go with Douliu. 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.

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