Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gongzhuling and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongzhuling: $591 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Gongzhuling
Learn more

Gongzhuling Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 China

$591

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $591 per month in Gongzhuling vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gongzhuling $591
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $946 per month in Gongzhuling vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gongzhuling $946
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $1,300 per month in Gongzhuling vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Gongzhuling $1,300
Melbourne $5,650

Gongzhuling is about 79% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Gongzhuling sits 56% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ¥14.06

$17.43 A$25.08

-87.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.39 ¥110

$84.6 A$122

-80.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 ¥30.75

$12.46 A$17.92

-63.08%

Cappuccino

$1.98 ¥13.24

$4.11 A$5.91

-51.82%

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

$0.43 ¥2.91

$3.06 A$4.40

-85.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$2.52 A$3.62

-90.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$9.80 A$14.10

-92.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$8.57 A$12.33

-81.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.48 A$2.14

-11.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 ¥14.60

$2.94 A$4.23

-25.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$2.66 A$3.82

-59.40%

Eggs

$1.03 ¥6.86

$5.54 A$7.97

-81.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 ¥49.77

$10.51 A$15.13

-29.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.45

$9.65 A$13.89

-62.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 ¥61.6

$15.22 A$21.91

-39.49%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$3.99 A$5.75

-85.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.34

$3.02 A$4.34

-78.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$3.10 A$4.46

-82.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$4.82 A$6.93

-91.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.10

$3.03 A$4.36

-84.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.59

$2.44 A$3.52

-77.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$2.46 A$3.54

-82.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$1.63 A$2.34

-64.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 ¥24.63

$44.07 A$63.4

-91.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 ¥70.0

$12.70 A$18.28

-17.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$5.54 A$7.97

-88.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$5.23 A$7.52

-78.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$3.74 A$5.38

-91.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.64 ¥118

$138 A$198

-87.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$4.51 A$6.50

-74.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$1.36 A$1.96

-74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 ¥17.56

$30.45 A$43.81

-91.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.47 A$2.12

-14.97%

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

$19.1K ¥127.6K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-34.21%

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

$16.4K ¥109.8K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-38.00%

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

$28.49 ¥190

$234 A$336

-87.81%

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

$5.81 ¥38.84

$27.93 A$40.19

-79.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 ¥69.6

$55.7 A$80.2

-81.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 ¥281

$49.40 A$71.1

-14.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 ¥103

$21.48 A$30.91

-28.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ¥34.25

$15.09 A$21.72

-66.07%

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

$400 ¥2,673

$2,371 A$3,412

-83.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ¥76.7K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-62.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.10 ¥108

$80.0 A$115

-79.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.24 ¥149

$50.7 A$73.0

-56.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 ¥397

$121 A$174

-50.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.86 ¥300

$130 A$188

-65.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 ¥2,009

$1,759 A$2,531

-82.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,233

$1,390 A$2,000

-86.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 ¥4,261

$3,494 A$5,027

-81.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,505

$2,493 A$3,588

-84.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ¥23.3K

$6,926 A$9,967

-49.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,926 ¥12.9K

$6,445 A$9,274

-70.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ¥2,280

$4,383 A$6,307

-92.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.9

-40.68%

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

Last update for Gongzhuling: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gongzhuling

$184 31.2%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 654% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Gongzhuling

$160 27.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 140% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 168% $108

Eating Out

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 392% $251

Sport & Entertainment

Gongzhuling

$52 8.8%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 52.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gongzhuling

$45 7.6%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 610% $273

Getting Around

Gongzhuling

$22 3.7%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 651% $142

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $300 in Gongzhuling 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 1185% 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 $16.00 in Gongzhuling versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $384 – making Gongzhuling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Gongzhuling

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

10:49 10:49 AM

13:49 1:49 PM

3 h ahead of Gongzhuling

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

862,313

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gongzhuling Melbourne 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Gongzhuling
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

Gongzhuling vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 377%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $887 per month in Gongzhuling and $4,231 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $400 per month in Gongzhuling and $2,371 in Melbourne. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 140% 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 Gongzhuling, where all-in costs run around $591, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Gongzhuling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gongzhuling – 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 Gongzhuling. 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.