Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hua-lien and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua-lien: $1,076 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Hua-lien
Learn more

Hua-lien Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Hua-lien

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,076

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,076 in Hua-lien versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Hua-lien $1,076
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,820 in Hua-lien versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Hua-lien $1,820
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,563 in Hua-lien versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Hua-lien $2,563
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Hua-lien costs roughly 62% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hua-lien is 20% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 NT$129

$17.43 A$25.08

-77.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.74 NT$932

$84.6 A$122

-66.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.28 NT$139

$12.46 A$17.92

-65.65%

Cappuccino

$2.78 NT$90.3

$4.11 A$5.91

-32.36%

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

$0.93 NT$30.01

$3.06 A$4.40

-69.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 NT$18.18

$2.52 A$3.62

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 NT$43.12

$9.80 A$14.10

-86.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NT$67.6

$8.57 A$12.33

-75.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 NT$95.1

$1.48 A$2.14

97.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.9

$2.94 A$4.23

-40.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.50 NT$146

$2.66 A$3.82

69.17%

Eggs

$1.98 NT$64.1

$5.54 A$7.97

-64.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.63 NT$636

$10.51 A$15.13

86.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 NT$201

$9.65 A$13.89

-35.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.54 NT$828

$15.22 A$21.91

67.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 NT$86.3

$3.99 A$5.75

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 NT$80.9

$3.02 A$4.34

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 NT$104

$3.10 A$4.46

3.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 NT$103

$4.82 A$6.93

-34.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NT$78.7

$3.03 A$4.36

-19.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 NT$74.6

$2.44 A$3.52

-5.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 NT$65.5

$2.46 A$3.54

-17.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 NT$31.72

$1.63 A$2.34

-39.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 NT$126

$44.07 A$63.4

-91.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 NT$410

$12.70 A$18.28

-0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 NT$62.1

$5.54 A$7.97

-65.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 NT$76.1

$5.23 A$7.52

-55.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 NT$19.64

$3.74 A$5.38

-83.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.66 NT$1,189

$138 A$198

-73.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 NT$99.8

$4.51 A$6.50

-31.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 NT$9.91

$1.36 A$1.96

-77.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.36 NT$336

$30.45 A$43.81

-65.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 NT$28.98

$1.47 A$2.12

-39.46%

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

$33.7K NT$1.1M

$29.0K A$41.7K

16.32%

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

$26.6K NT$862.6K

$26.5K A$38.1K

0.47%

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

$103 NT$3,332

$234 A$336

-56.03%

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

$19.48 NT$632

$27.93 A$40.19

-30.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.54 NT$407

$55.7 A$80.2

-77.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.61 NT$1,187

$49.40 A$71.1

-25.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 NT$328

$15.09 A$21.72

-32.94%

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

$767 NT$24.9K

$2,371 A$3,412

-67.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K NT$533.1K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-45.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 NT$1,850

$80.0 A$115

-28.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.07 NT$1,170

$50.7 A$73.0

-28.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 NT$2,576

$121 A$174

-34.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 NT$3,455

$130 A$188

-18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 NT$13.1K

$1,759 A$2,531

-77.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 NT$8,204

$1,390 A$2,000

-81.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NT$31.9K

$3,494 A$5,027

-71.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 NT$24.0K

$2,493 A$3,588

-70.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,755 NT$251.5K

$6,926 A$9,967

11.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,989 NT$161.8K

$6,445 A$9,274

-22.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,940 NT$95.3K

$4,383 A$6,307

-32.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.13

5.9

-63.90%

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

Last update for Hua-lien: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Hua-lien

$368 34.2%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 4.5% $16

Accommodation & Living

Hua-lien

$253 23.5%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 449% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hua-lien

$135 12.5%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 136% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Hua-lien

$126 11.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 36.7% $46

Eating Out

Hua-lien

$95 8.8%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 231% $220

Sport & Entertainment

Hua-lien

$57 5.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 40% $23

Getting Around

Hua-lien

$44 4.1%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 275% $120

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $404 in Hua-lien and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 49% 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: $29.00 in Hua-lien vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $384 per month, with Hua-lien cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Hua-lien

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

3 h ahead of Hua-lien

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,034

5,031,195

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to TWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hua-lien Melbourne 7,290 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Hua-lien
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

Hua-lien vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 162% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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: $404 in Hua-lien versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Hua-lien versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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, Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.