Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Longyan and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Longyan: $462 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $28,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Longyan
🇨🇳 China
$462
/mo nomad
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,853
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $462 per month in Longyan vs $2,853 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Longyan $462
  • Melbourne $2,853

A couple spends around $750 per month in Longyan vs $4,275 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Longyan $750
  • Melbourne $4,275

A family of three spends $1,038 per month in Longyan vs $5,697 in Melbourne, rent included.

  • Longyan $1,038
  • Melbourne $5,697

Longyan is about 84% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Longyan sits 66% below the global median, while Melbourne is 111% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.95 ¥19.74
$17.20 A$24.75
-82.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$22.57 ¥151
$83.1 A$120
-72.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.96 ¥33.19
$12.43 A$17.88
-60.10%
Cappuccino
$2.20 ¥14.72
$4.05 A$5.82
-45.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 ¥2.94
$3.12 A$4.50
-85.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 ¥1.79
$2.46 A$3.54
-89.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.88 ¥5.87
$9.52 A$13.71
-90.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.60 ¥10.68
$8.16 A$11.74
-80.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.08 ¥13.90
$1.56 A$2.25
33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.42 ¥9.47
$2.90 A$4.18
-51.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.78 ¥5.22
$2.66 A$3.82
-70.68%
Eggs
$1.48 ¥9.90
$5.37 A$7.72
-72.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.63 ¥51.0
$10.67 A$15.36
-28.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.18 ¥14.61
$9.85 A$14.17
-77.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.99 ¥60.1
$15.36 A$22.11
-41.47%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 ¥12.63
$4.17 A$6.00
-54.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.34 ¥8.95
$3.15 A$4.53
-57.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.77 ¥11.83
$3.26 A$4.69
-45.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.12 ¥7.48
$4.76 A$6.85
-76.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.89 ¥5.97
$3.06 A$4.41
-70.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.01 ¥6.75
$2.47 A$3.55
-59.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.43 ¥2.90
$2.45 A$3.52
-82.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ¥3.21
$1.63 A$2.34
-70.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.42 ¥22.85
$45.17 A$65.0
-92.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.16 ¥81.3
$12.68 A$18.25
-4.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ¥5.21
$5.69 A$8.18
-86.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18 ¥7.89
$5.23 A$7.53
-77.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 ¥1.08
$3.87 A$5.57
-95.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$142 A$204
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.06 ¥7.10
$4.54 A$6.53
-76.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 ¥3.12
$1.42 A$2.04
-66.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.57 ¥50.6
$30.59 A$44.01
-75.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ¥8.76
$1.47 A$2.11
-10.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.3K ¥129.1K
$28.9K A$41.5K
-33.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$15.6K ¥104.3K
$25.9K A$37.3K
-39.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$66.3 ¥443
$235 A$338
-71.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.68 ¥105
$27.45 A$39.51
-42.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.86 ¥59.3
$56.1 A$80.8
-84.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$50.1 A$72.1
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.40 ¥29.44
$21.49 A$30.93
-79.53%
Cinema Ticket
$7.61 ¥50.9
$17.76 A$25.56
-57.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$213 ¥1,425
$2,385 A$3,432
-91.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.7K ¥78.4K
$29.7K A$42.7K
-60.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$29.86 ¥200
$79.2 A$114
-62.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$14.92 ¥99.8
$49.49 A$71.2
-69.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.0 ¥508
$118 A$170
-35.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.4 ¥658
$132 A$190
-25.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,763 A$2,537
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,411 A$2,031
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 ¥2,518
$3,522 A$5,069
-89.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,525 A$3,634
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,136 A$10.3K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,338 ¥8,949
$6,355 A$9,144
-78.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Longyan
Melbourne
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$485 ¥3,243
$4,258 A$6,128
-88.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.46
5.9
-41.36%

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

Last update for Longyan: October 18, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Longyan
$178
Melbourne
$388 119% $211
Clothing & Footwear
Longyan
$99
Melbourne
$171 73% $72
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Longyan
$91
Melbourne
$319 251% $228
Eating Out
Longyan
$75
Melbourne
$310 311% $234
Sport & Entertainment
Longyan
$15 *
Melbourne
$86 463% $70
Getting Around
Longyan
$4 *
Melbourne
$169 4085% $165
Accommodation & Living
Longyan
- *
Melbourne
$1.4K

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 778% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Longyan versus $83.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $388 – making Longyan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Longyan
🇦🇺 Melbourne
🕒 Local time
10:22 10:22 AM
13:22 1:22 PM
3 h ahead of Longyan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,559,545
5,031,195
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 23, 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 23, 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
  • Longyan Melbourne 7,580 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Longyan
  • 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
Longyan vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Longyan and in Melbourne compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $462 in Longyan, $2,853 in Melbourne – roughly 518% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Longyan compared to Melbourne?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $693 per month in Longyan and $4,280 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Longyan and $83.0 in Melbourne. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 119% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Longyan, where all-in costs run around $462, than in Melbourne at $2,853. In Longyan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Longyan or Melbourne?
Families tend to lean toward Longyan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Longyan or Melbourne safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Longyan and Melbourne?
If budget matters most, go with Longyan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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