Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koriyama and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Koriyama: $1,187 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Koriyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,187
/mo nomad
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,853
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,187 in Koriyama versus $2,853 in Melbourne.

  • Koriyama $1,187
  • Melbourne $2,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in Koriyama versus $4,275 in Melbourne.

  • Koriyama $1,881
  • Melbourne $4,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,575 in Koriyama versus $5,697 in Melbourne.

  • Koriyama $2,575
  • Melbourne $5,697

Living in Koriyama costs roughly 58% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koriyama is 12% below, Melbourne is 111% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.12 ¥967
$17.20 A$24.75
-64.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$31.16 ¥4,923
$83.1 A$120
-62.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.13 ¥810
$12.43 A$17.88
-58.73%
Cappuccino
$2.96 ¥468
$4.05 A$5.82
-26.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 ¥195
$3.12 A$4.50
-60.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥124
$2.46 A$3.54
-68.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 ¥426
$9.52 A$13.71
-71.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ¥501
$8.16 A$11.74
-61.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 ¥230
$1.56 A$2.25
-6.41%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 ¥246
$2.90 A$4.18
-46.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.20 ¥664
$2.66 A$3.82
57.89%
Eggs
$2.01 ¥317
$5.37 A$7.72
-62.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.18 ¥1,609
$10.67 A$15.36
-4.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.65 ¥1,051
$9.85 A$14.17
-32.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.68 ¥2,635
$15.36 A$22.11
8.59%
Apples (1kg)
$3.65 ¥576
$4.17 A$6.00
-12.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 ¥358
$3.15 A$4.53
-27.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.89 ¥457
$3.26 A$4.69
-11.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.07 ¥643
$4.76 A$6.85
-14.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.47 ¥390
$3.06 A$4.41
-19.28%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 ¥402
$2.47 A$3.55
3.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 ¥204
$2.45 A$3.52
-47.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ¥133
$1.63 A$2.34
-48.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85 ¥608
$45.17 A$65.0
-91.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.80 ¥1,074
$12.68 A$18.25
-46.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 ¥293
$5.69 A$8.18
-67.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 ¥333
$5.23 A$7.53
-59.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 ¥241
$3.87 A$5.57
-60.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$53.0 ¥8,380
$142 A$204
-62.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 ¥508
$4.54 A$6.53
-29.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.87 ¥453
$1.42 A$2.04
102.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.64 ¥2,945
$30.59 A$44.01
-39.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 ¥174
$1.47 A$2.11
-25.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.9K ¥3.3M
$28.9K A$41.5K
-27.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.2K ¥2.4M
$25.9K A$37.3K
-41.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 ¥21.2K
$235 A$338
-42.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.63 ¥3,890
$27.45 A$39.51
-10.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.55 ¥4,984
$56.1 A$80.8
-43.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ¥8,243
$50.1 A$72.1
4.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$21.49 A$30.93
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.02 ¥1,899
$17.76 A$25.56
-32.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$523 ¥82.7K
$2,385 A$3,432
-78.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.6K ¥2.0M
$29.7K A$42.7K
-57.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.37 ¥7,799
$79.2 A$114
-37.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.64 ¥4,999
$49.49 A$71.2
-36.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.0 ¥9,639
$118 A$170
-48.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.4 ¥13.8K
$132 A$190
-33.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$542 ¥85.6K
$1,763 A$2,537
-69.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$325 ¥51.4K
$1,411 A$2,031
-76.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,102 ¥174.1K
$3,522 A$5,069
-68.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$739 ¥116.8K
$2,525 A$3,634
-70.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,230 ¥668.2K
$7,136 A$10.3K
-40.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,778 ¥280.8K
$6,355 A$9,144
-72.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koriyama
Melbourne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,258 A$6,128
-
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 Koriyama: October 19, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Koriyama
$325
Melbourne
$1.4K 334% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Koriyama
$287
Melbourne
$388 35.2% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koriyama
$191
Melbourne
$319 67.2% $128
Eating Out
Koriyama
$128
Melbourne
$310 142% $182
Clothing & Footwear
Koriyama
$103
Melbourne
$171 65.3% $67
Getting Around
Koriyama
$77
Melbourne
$169 121% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Koriyama
$76
Melbourne
$86 12.4% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $542 in Koriyama and $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Koriyama vs $83.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $388 per month, with Koriyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Koriyama
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🕒 Local time
20:33 8:33 PM
22:33 10:33 PM
2 h ahead of Koriyama
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
327,692
5,031,195
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Koriyama Melbourne 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Koriyama
  • 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
Koriyama vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Koriyama and in Melbourne?
Koriyama and Melbourne differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($1,187 vs $2,853 including rent). Koriyama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Koriyama compared to Melbourne?
You'd need roughly $1,781 in Koriyama and $4,280 in Melbourne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Koriyama and in Melbourne?
Rent for a central apartment: $542 in Koriyama versus $1,763 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Koriyama and in Melbourne?
A monthly transit pass in Koriyama runs roughly 168% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Koriyama and Melbourne?
Childcare runs $523 in Koriyama versus $2,385 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,187 in Koriyama versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Koriyama but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Koriyama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Koriyama and Melbourne?
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.
Is Koriyama or Melbourne safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Koriyama 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.
Where should expats move: Koriyama or Melbourne?
Expats usually find Koriyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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