Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hiroshima and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $963 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
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Hiroshima Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$963

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $963 per month in Hiroshima vs $2,821 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hiroshima $963
Melbourne $2,821

A couple spends around $1,548 per month in Hiroshima vs $4,235 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hiroshima $1,548
Melbourne $4,235

A family of three spends $2,134 per month in Hiroshima vs $5,650 in Melbourne, rent included.

Hiroshima $2,134
Melbourne $5,650

Hiroshima is about 66% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hiroshima sits 29% below the global median, while Melbourne is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 ¥926

$17.43 A$25.08

-66.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.49 ¥4,975

$84.6 A$122

-62.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.11 ¥807

$12.46 A$17.92

-58.99%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ¥434

$4.11 A$5.91

-33.09%

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

$0.96 ¥151

$3.06 A$4.40

-68.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥101

$2.52 A$3.62

-74.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 ¥425

$9.80 A$14.10

-72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 ¥613

$8.57 A$12.33

-54.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 ¥228

$1.48 A$2.14

-2.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥245

$2.94 A$4.23

-47.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 ¥759

$2.66 A$3.82

80.45%

Eggs

$2.06 ¥326

$5.54 A$7.97

-62.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.89 ¥773

$10.51 A$15.13

-53.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 ¥931

$9.65 A$13.89

-38.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 ¥1,749

$15.22 A$21.91

-27.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ¥520

$3.99 A$5.75

-17.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ¥307

$3.02 A$4.34

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.80 ¥600

$3.10 A$4.46

22.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 ¥613

$4.82 A$6.93

-19.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥244

$3.03 A$4.36

-49.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.43 ¥542

$2.44 A$3.52

40.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥215

$2.46 A$3.54

-44.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥129

$1.63 A$2.34

-50.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 ¥626

$44.07 A$63.4

-91.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 ¥1,239

$12.70 A$18.28

-38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 ¥307

$5.54 A$7.97

-64.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ¥391

$5.23 A$7.52

-52.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 ¥304

$3.74 A$5.38

-48.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.30 ¥5,261

$138 A$198

-75.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 ¥591

$4.51 A$6.50

-17.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 ¥197

$1.36 A$1.96

-8.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.23 ¥3,354

$30.45 A$43.81

-30.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ¥175

$1.47 A$2.12

-24.49%

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

$21.9K ¥3.5M

$29.0K A$41.7K

-24.49%

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

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$26.5K A$38.1K

-44.52%

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

$136 ¥21.5K

$234 A$336

-41.68%

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

$24.40 ¥3,855

$27.93 A$40.19

-12.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.36 ¥4,796

$55.7 A$80.2

-45.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 ¥8,511

$49.40 A$71.1

9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.87 ¥769

$21.48 A$30.91

-77.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 ¥1,865

$15.09 A$21.72

-21.80%

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

$155 ¥24.4K

$2,371 A$3,412

-93.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,376 ¥533.4K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-88.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.92 ¥4,410

$80.0 A$115

-65.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.33 ¥4,001

$50.7 A$73.0

-50.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.84 ¥7,558

$121 A$174

-60.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 ¥9,878

$130 A$188

-52.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 ¥37.8K

$1,759 A$2,531

-86.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥30.4K

$1,390 A$2,000

-86.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ¥97.7K

$3,494 A$5,027

-82.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ¥79.1K

$2,493 A$3,588

-79.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 ¥474.2K

$6,926 A$9,967

-56.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,413 ¥223.2K

$6,445 A$9,274

-78.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,006 ¥316.9K

$4,383 A$6,307

-54.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.21

5.9

-62.54%

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

Last update for Hiroshima: 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

Hiroshima

$255 26.4%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 50.9% $129

Accommodation & Living

Hiroshima

$192 20%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 623% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hiroshima

$191 19.9%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 66.1% $126

Eating Out

Hiroshima

$123 12.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 156% $192

Sport & Entertainment

Hiroshima

$77 8.1%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 2.7% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Hiroshima

$74 7.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 133% $98

Getting Around

Hiroshima

$51 5.3%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 221% $113

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $239 in Hiroshima 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 118% 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 $31.00 in Hiroshima versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $384 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

01:24 1:24 AM

2 h ahead of Hiroshima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200,754

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 19, 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 19, 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

Hiroshima Melbourne 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hiroshima
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

Hiroshima vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 193% more than Hiroshima, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,444 per month in Hiroshima 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 Hiroshima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $963 in Hiroshima and $2,821 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 193%.

Public transport costs about 313% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $963, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hiroshima – 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 Hiroshima. 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.