Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Himeji and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Himeji: $1,283 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Himeji
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Himeji Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Himeji

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,283

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,283 per month in Himeji vs $2,853 in Melbourne, rent included.

Himeji $1,283
Melbourne $2,853

A couple spends around $2,047 per month in Himeji vs $4,275 in Melbourne, rent included.

Himeji $2,047
Melbourne $4,275

A family of three spends $2,811 per month in Himeji vs $5,697 in Melbourne, rent included.

Himeji $2,811
Melbourne $5,697

Himeji is about 55% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Himeji sits 5% below the global median, while Melbourne is 111% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.46 ¥1,336

$17.20 A$24.75

-50.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.07 ¥4,909

$83.1 A$120

-62.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥807

$12.43 A$17.88

-58.89%

Cappuccino

$2.35 ¥371

$4.05 A$5.82

-41.98%

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

$1.24 ¥196

$3.12 A$4.50

-60.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥129

$2.46 A$3.54

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.20 ¥505

$9.52 A$13.71

-66.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥483

$8.16 A$11.74

-62.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ¥247

$1.56 A$2.25

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥233

$2.90 A$4.18

-48.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 ¥650

$2.66 A$3.82

54.89%

Eggs

$2.18 ¥344

$5.37 A$7.72

-59.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.50 ¥2,449

$10.67 A$15.36

45.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 ¥1,072

$9.85 A$14.17

-31.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.88 ¥2,667

$15.36 A$22.11

9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$8.37 ¥1,323

$4.17 A$6.00

100.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.97 ¥470

$3.15 A$4.53

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 ¥799

$3.26 A$4.69

55.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.86 ¥1,241

$4.76 A$6.85

65.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ¥617

$3.06 A$4.41

27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.70 ¥743

$2.47 A$3.55

90.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ¥177

$2.45 A$3.52

-54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 ¥141

$1.63 A$2.34

-45.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 ¥611

$45.17 A$65.0

-91.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 ¥1,539

$12.68 A$18.25

-23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥412

$5.69 A$8.18

-54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥332

$5.23 A$7.53

-59.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥228

$3.87 A$5.57

-62.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 ¥8,373

$142 A$204

-62.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 ¥494

$4.54 A$6.53

-31.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 ¥446

$1.42 A$2.04

98.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 ¥2,441

$30.59 A$44.01

-49.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥168

$1.47 A$2.11

-27.21%

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

$21.5K ¥3.4M

$28.9K A$41.5K

-25.49%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$25.9K A$37.3K

-41.74%

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

$118 ¥18.6K

$235 A$338

-49.97%

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

$23.44 ¥3,704

$27.45 A$39.51

-14.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 ¥5,003

$56.1 A$80.8

-43.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,314

$50.1 A$72.1

5.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 ¥1,795

$17.76 A$25.56

-36.04%

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

$564 ¥89.1K

$2,385 A$3,432

-76.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$29.7K A$42.7K

-50.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.92 ¥7,886

$79.2 A$114

-36.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.51 ¥5,611

$49.49 A$71.2

-28.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,739

$118 A$170

-47.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 ¥15.7K

$132 A$190

-24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.4K

$1,763 A$2,537

-69.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 ¥51.8K

$1,411 A$2,031

-76.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 ¥173.8K

$3,522 A$5,069

-68.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.2K

$2,525 A$3,634

-71.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,304 ¥680.0K

$7,136 A$10.3K

-39.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,725 ¥272.5K

$6,355 A$9,144

-72.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

5.9

-65.76%

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

Last update for Himeji: October 18, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Himeji

$379 29.5%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 2.5% $9.6

Accommodation & Living

Himeji

$328 25.6%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 330% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Himeji

$173 13.5%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 84.5% $146

Eating Out

Himeji

$142 11%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 119% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Himeji

$111 8.6%

Melbourne

$171 6% 54% $60

Getting Around

Himeji

$76 5.9%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 122% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Himeji

$75 5.9%

Melbourne

$86 3% 13.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $541 in Himeji versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Himeji versus $83.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $379 vs $388 – making Himeji the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Himeji

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

08:46 8:46 AM

10:46 10:46 AM

2 h ahead of Himeji

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

535,571

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 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 JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Himeji Melbourne 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Himeji
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

Himeji vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 122%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,925 per month in Himeji and $4,280 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 3% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Himeji and $83.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Himeji, where all-in costs run around $1,283, than in Melbourne at $2,853. In Himeji it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Himeji – 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 Himeji. 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.