Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaifeng and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Kaifeng: $501 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $27,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kaifeng
Learn more

Kaifeng Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Kaifeng

🇨🇳 China

$501

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $501 in Kaifeng versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Kaifeng $501
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $791 in Kaifeng versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Kaifeng $791
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,081 in Kaifeng versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Kaifeng $1,081
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Kaifeng costs roughly 82% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaifeng is 63% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.77 ¥11.83

$17.43 A$25.08

-89.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.50 ¥90.3

$84.6 A$122

-84.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.15 ¥27.74

$12.46 A$17.92

-66.69%

Cappuccino

$2.41 ¥16.12

$4.11 A$5.91

-41.36%

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

$0.38 ¥2.54

$3.06 A$4.40

-87.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ¥1.06

$2.52 A$3.62

-93.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$9.80 A$14.10

-90.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.78

$8.57 A$12.33

-81.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$1.48 A$2.14

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 ¥10.18

$2.94 A$4.23

-48.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.79

$2.66 A$3.82

-67.29%

Eggs

$0.90 ¥6.03

$5.54 A$7.97

-83.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.85 ¥45.78

$10.51 A$15.13

-34.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.36 ¥15.81

$9.65 A$13.89

-75.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.73 ¥65.0

$15.22 A$21.91

-36.07%

Apples (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$3.99 A$5.75

-79.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ¥6.75

$3.02 A$4.34

-66.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$3.10 A$4.46

-80.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 ¥4.03

$4.82 A$6.93

-87.55%

Potato (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.12

$3.03 A$4.36

-79.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$2.44 A$3.52

-70.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$2.46 A$3.54

-91.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.48

$1.63 A$2.34

-68.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ¥19.39

$44.07 A$63.4

-93.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$12.70 A$18.28

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥6.62

$5.54 A$7.97

-82.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ¥14.05

$5.23 A$7.52

-59.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ¥0.98

$3.74 A$5.38

-95.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$4.51 A$6.50

-74.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.16 ¥1.08

$1.36 A$1.96

-88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 ¥23.91

$30.45 A$43.81

-88.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.40

$1.47 A$2.12

-14.29%

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

$19.0K ¥127.3K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-34.36%

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

$15.0K ¥100.2K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-43.39%

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

$45.41 ¥304

$234 A$336

-80.57%

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

$4.89 ¥32.70

$27.93 A$40.19

-82.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.17 ¥34.55

$55.7 A$80.2

-90.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.40 ¥197

$49.40 A$71.1

-40.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$21.48 A$30.91

-51.02%

Cinema Ticket

$3.69 ¥24.65

$15.09 A$21.72

-75.55%

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

$382 ¥2,553

$2,371 A$3,412

-83.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K ¥208.6K

$30.2K A$43.5K

3.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.28 ¥289

$80.0 A$115

-45.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.17 ¥222

$50.7 A$73.0

-34.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 ¥482

$121 A$174

-40.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.68 ¥305

$130 A$188

-64.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$120 ¥803

$1,759 A$2,531

-93.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.7 ¥600

$1,390 A$2,000

-93.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$225 ¥1,506

$3,494 A$5,027

-93.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 ¥1,192

$2,493 A$3,588

-92.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$577 ¥3,861

$4,383 A$6,307

-86.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

5.9

-47.46%

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

Last update for Kaifeng: 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

Kaifeng

$164 32.7%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 135% $220

Accommodation & Living

Kaifeng

$90 17.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 1449% $1.3K

Clothing & Footwear

Kaifeng

$87 17.5%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 96.5% $84

Eating Out

Kaifeng

$65 13.1%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 380% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaifeng

$55 11.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 472% $262

Sport & Entertainment

Kaifeng

$37 7.3%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 116% $43

Getting Around

Kaifeng

$2.6 * 0.5%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 6298% $161

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $120 in Kaifeng and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 659% 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: $14.00 in Kaifeng vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $384 per month, with Kaifeng cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kaifeng

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

19:28 7:28 PM

3 h ahead of Kaifeng

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,676,159

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 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 CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kaifeng Melbourne 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Kaifeng
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

Kaifeng vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaifeng wins on cost – living expenses run 463% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaifeng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 659% 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: $120 in Kaifeng versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $501 per month in Kaifeng versus $2,821 in Melbourne – a 463% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $501 in Kaifeng versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaifeng but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Kaifeng 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, Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 463% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.