Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hefei and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Hefei: $764 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Hefei
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Hefei Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Hefei

🇨🇳 China

$764

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $764 in Hefei versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Hefei $764
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,215 in Hefei versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Hefei $1,215
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,666 in Hefei versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Hefei $1,666
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Hefei costs roughly 73% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hefei is 43% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 ¥17.35

$17.43 A$25.08

-85.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.83 ¥152

$84.6 A$122

-73.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ¥30.23

$12.46 A$17.92

-63.64%

Cappuccino

$2.67 ¥17.80

$4.11 A$5.91

-35.04%

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

$0.49 ¥3.26

$3.06 A$4.40

-83.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$2.52 A$3.62

-89.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$9.80 A$14.10

-89.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$8.57 A$12.33

-76.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 ¥10.57

$1.48 A$2.14

6.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.12

$2.94 A$4.23

-32.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.29

$2.66 A$3.82

-70.30%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥12.20

$5.54 A$7.97

-66.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 ¥92.4

$10.51 A$15.13

31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.76 ¥31.81

$9.65 A$13.89

-50.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.55 ¥77.1

$15.22 A$21.91

-24.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 ¥15.42

$3.99 A$5.75

-42.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.21

$3.02 A$4.34

-44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ¥10.94

$3.10 A$4.46

-47.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.25

$4.82 A$6.93

-68.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$3.03 A$4.36

-70.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$2.44 A$3.52

-59.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ¥5.58

$2.46 A$3.54

-65.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.43

$1.63 A$2.34

-59.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ¥20.44

$44.07 A$63.4

-93.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.7

$12.70 A$18.28

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.87

$5.54 A$7.97

-84.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥12.71

$5.23 A$7.52

-63.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$3.74 A$5.38

-91.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.14 ¥295

$138 A$198

-67.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.78

$4.51 A$6.50

-74.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$1.36 A$1.96

-75.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 ¥23.62

$30.45 A$43.81

-88.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.68

$1.47 A$2.12

-11.56%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-34.41%

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

$16.9K ¥112.6K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-36.28%

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

$49.24 ¥329

$234 A$336

-78.93%

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

$9.03 ¥60.3

$27.93 A$40.19

-67.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.71 ¥78.2

$55.7 A$80.2

-78.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.74 ¥105

$49.40 A$71.1

-68.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.63 ¥104

$21.48 A$30.91

-27.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 ¥42.94

$15.09 A$21.72

-57.39%

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

$246 ¥1,643

$2,371 A$3,412

-89.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,528 ¥56.9K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-71.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 ¥607

$80.0 A$115

13.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 ¥219

$50.7 A$73.0

-35.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.2 ¥422

$121 A$174

-47.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 ¥657

$130 A$188

-24.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ¥1,660

$1,759 A$2,531

-85.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 ¥1,200

$1,390 A$2,000

-87.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$550 ¥3,674

$3,494 A$5,027

-84.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 ¥2,218

$2,493 A$3,588

-86.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ¥23.9K

$6,926 A$9,967

-48.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 ¥12.8K

$6,445 A$9,274

-70.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,007 ¥6,725

$4,383 A$6,307

-77.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

5.9

-46.61%

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

Last update for Hefei: 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

Hefei

$230 30.1%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 66.9% $154

Accommodation & Living

Hefei

$180 23.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 673% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Hefei

$128 16.8%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 33.8% $43

Eating Out

Hefei

$78 10.3%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 301% $236

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hefei

$70 9.2%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 354% $247

Getting Around

Hefei

$48 6.3%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 240% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Hefei

$29 3.8%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 178% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $249 in Hefei and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 335% 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: $23.00 in Hefei vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $384 per month, with Hefei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Hefei

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

3 h ahead of Hefei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,369,881

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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 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

Hefei Melbourne 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hefei
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

Hefei vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 269% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 335% 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: $249 in Hefei versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $764 per month in Hefei versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 269% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $764 in Hefei versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei 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, Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 269% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.