Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibaraki and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibaraki: $1,130 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Ibaraki
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Ibaraki Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Ibaraki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,130

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,130 in Ibaraki versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

Ibaraki $1,130
Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,756 in Ibaraki versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

Ibaraki $1,756
Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,383 in Ibaraki versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

Ibaraki $2,383
Melbourne $5,697

Living in Ibaraki costs roughly 60% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibaraki is 17% below, Melbourne is 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 ¥1,016

$17.20 A$24.75

-62.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.94 ¥4,888

$83.1 A$120

-62.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 ¥781

$12.43 A$17.88

-60.18%

Cappuccino

$3.04 ¥480

$4.05 A$5.82

-24.94%

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

$1.15 ¥182

$3.12 A$4.50

-63.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥119

$2.46 A$3.54

-69.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 ¥421

$9.52 A$13.71

-72.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 ¥499

$8.16 A$11.74

-61.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.70 ¥427

$1.56 A$2.25

73.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 ¥244

$2.90 A$4.18

-46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 ¥638

$2.66 A$3.82

51.88%

Eggs

$2.12 ¥334

$5.37 A$7.72

-60.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ¥1,663

$10.67 A$15.36

-1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 ¥1,053

$9.85 A$14.17

-32.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.42 ¥2,594

$15.36 A$22.11

6.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.79 ¥599

$4.17 A$6.00

-9.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 ¥357

$3.15 A$4.53

-28.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 ¥443

$3.26 A$4.69

-13.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 ¥645

$4.76 A$6.85

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 ¥384

$3.06 A$4.41

-20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 ¥404

$2.47 A$3.55

3.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 ¥196

$2.45 A$3.52

-49.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ¥134

$1.63 A$2.34

-47.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.33 ¥526

$45.17 A$65.0

-92.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 ¥1,052

$12.68 A$18.25

-47.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ¥282

$5.69 A$8.18

-68.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥340

$5.23 A$7.53

-58.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 ¥266

$3.87 A$5.57

-56.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.3 ¥8,582

$142 A$204

-61.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 ¥735

$4.54 A$6.53

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 ¥444

$1.42 A$2.04

97.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 ¥2,890

$30.59 A$44.01

-40.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥178

$1.47 A$2.11

-23.13%

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

$21.4K ¥3.4M

$28.9K A$41.5K

-26.00%

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

$15.1K ¥2.4M

$25.9K A$37.3K

-41.57%

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

$136 ¥21.5K

$235 A$338

-42.18%

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

$23.88 ¥3,773

$27.45 A$39.51

-13.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.10 ¥4,913

$56.1 A$80.8

-44.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 ¥8,140

$50.1 A$72.1

2.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 ¥2,046

$17.76 A$25.56

-27.08%

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

$464 ¥73.3K

$2,385 A$3,432

-80.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.1M

$29.7K A$42.7K

-54.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.48 ¥4,184

$79.2 A$114

-66.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.63 ¥4,997

$49.49 A$71.2

-36.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 ¥10.6K

$118 A$170

-43.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 ¥12.6K

$132 A$190

-39.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 ¥63.4K

$1,763 A$2,537

-77.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 ¥41.1K

$1,411 A$2,031

-81.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 ¥174.2K

$3,522 A$5,069

-68.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$528 ¥83.3K

$2,525 A$3,634

-79.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,937 ¥622.0K

$7,136 A$10.3K

-44.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,554 ¥245.6K

$6,355 A$9,144

-75.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,553 ¥403.3K

$4,258 A$6,128

-40.05%

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 Ibaraki: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ibaraki

$300 26.5%

Melbourne

$388 13.6% 29.7% $89

Accommodation & Living

Ibaraki

$260 23%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5% 442% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibaraki

$191 16.9%

Melbourne

$319 11.2% 66.9% $128

Eating Out

Ibaraki

$130 11.5%

Melbourne

$310 10.9% 138% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Ibaraki

$92 8.2%

Melbourne

$171 6% 84.9% $78

Getting Around

Ibaraki

$80 7.1%

Melbourne

$169 5.9% 112% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Ibaraki

$77 6.9%

Melbourne

$86 3% 10.6% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Ibaraki and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 67% 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: $31.00 in Ibaraki vs $83.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $388 per month, with Ibaraki cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Ibaraki

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

2 h ahead of Ibaraki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

287,730

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 →

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Between locations

Ibaraki Melbourne 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibaraki
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

Ibaraki vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibaraki and Melbourne differ by about 153% in total monthly costs ($1,130 vs $2,853 including rent). Ibaraki is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 67% 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: $401 in Ibaraki versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibaraki – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $83.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,130 in Ibaraki versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ibaraki but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Ibaraki 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, Ibaraki 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 Ibaraki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.