Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiujiang and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiujiang: $793 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Jiujiang
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Jiujiang Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Jiujiang

🇨🇳 China

$793

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Jiujiang versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Jiujiang $793
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,237 in Jiujiang versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Jiujiang $1,237
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,681 in Jiujiang versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Jiujiang $1,681
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Jiujiang costs roughly 72% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jiujiang is 41% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.61 ¥17.48

$17.43 A$24.97

-85.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.60 ¥151

$84.6 A$121

-73.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ¥30.27

$12.46 A$17.85

-63.64%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ¥18.39

$4.11 A$5.88

-33.09%

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

$0.50 ¥3.32

$3.06 A$4.38

-83.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.78

$2.52 A$3.61

-89.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ¥6.88

$9.80 A$14.04

-89.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.73

$8.57 A$12.28

-76.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 ¥10.77

$1.48 A$2.13

8.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 ¥13.73

$2.94 A$4.22

-30.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.36

$2.66 A$3.80

-69.92%

Eggs

$1.84 ¥12.29

$5.54 A$7.94

-66.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 ¥91.5

$10.51 A$15.06

30.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 ¥32.16

$9.65 A$13.82

-50.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 ¥78.2

$15.22 A$21.81

-23.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 ¥15.58

$3.99 A$5.72

-41.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.62

$3.02 A$4.32

-42.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.54

$3.10 A$4.44

-44.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.31

$4.82 A$6.90

-68.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.37

$3.03 A$4.34

-73.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.74

$2.44 A$3.50

-58.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ¥5.72

$2.46 A$3.53

-65.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ¥4.76

$1.63 A$2.33

-56.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ¥19.86

$44.07 A$63.1

-93.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 ¥80.7

$12.70 A$18.20

-4.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥5.76

$5.54 A$7.93

-84.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$5.23 A$7.49

-63.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ¥2.01

$3.74 A$5.36

-91.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.59 ¥124

$138 A$197

-86.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$4.51 A$6.47

-73.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.34

$1.36 A$1.95

-74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ¥23.88

$30.45 A$43.62

-88.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.50

$1.47 A$2.11

-13.61%

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

$19.7K ¥131.8K

$29.0K A$41.5K

-32.05%

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

$16.4K ¥110.0K

$26.5K A$37.9K

-37.86%

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

$49.03 ¥328

$234 A$335

-79.02%

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

$9.24 ¥61.8

$27.93 A$40.01

-66.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.08 ¥80.8

$55.7 A$79.9

-78.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.46 ¥284

$49.40 A$70.8

-14.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.05 ¥114

$21.48 A$30.77

-20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 ¥41.64

$15.09 A$21.62

-58.71%

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

$240 ¥1,607

$2,371 A$3,397

-89.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,703 ¥58.2K

$30.2K A$43.3K

-71.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.4 ¥591

$80.0 A$115

10.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.31 ¥223

$50.7 A$72.6

-34.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.3 ¥430

$121 A$173

-46.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.6 ¥653

$130 A$187

-25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$291 ¥1,943

$1,759 A$2,520

-83.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 ¥1,368

$1,390 A$1,991

-85.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 ¥3,694

$3,494 A$5,005

-84.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥2,260

$2,493 A$3,572

-86.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,711 ¥24.8K

$6,926 A$9,922

-46.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,067 ¥13.8K

$6,445 A$9,233

-67.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 ¥3,970

$4,383 A$6,279

-86.46%

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 Jiujiang: 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

Jiujiang

$233 29.4%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 65% $151

Accommodation & Living

Jiujiang

$205 25.8%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 580% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Jiujiang

$128 16.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 34.6% $44

Eating Out

Jiujiang

$80 10.1%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 294% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jiujiang

$70 8.9%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 351% $247

Sport & Entertainment

Jiujiang

$55 6.9%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 44.9% $25

Getting Around

Jiujiang

$23 2.9%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 621% $141

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $291 in Jiujiang and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 638% 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 Jiujiang vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $384 per month, with Jiujiang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jiujiang

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

17:30 5:30 PM

3 h ahead of Jiujiang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,728,778

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jiujiang Melbourne 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Jiujiang
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

Jiujiang vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiujiang wins on cost – living expenses run 256% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jiujiang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 638% 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: $291 in Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang – 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 $793 per month in Jiujiang versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $793 in Jiujiang versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jiujiang but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Jiujiang 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, Jiujiang 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 Jiujiang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.