Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Baoji

For one person, living is cheaper in Baoji: $756 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Baoji
Learn more

Baoji Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Baoji

🇨🇳 China

$756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Baoji

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Melbourne and in Baoji actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $756 in Baoji.

Melbourne $2,821
Baoji $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,139 in Baoji.

Melbourne $4,235
Baoji $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,521 in Baoji.

Melbourne $5,650
Baoji $1,521

Living in Melbourne is roughly 273% more expensive than in Baoji, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Baoji is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$24.86

$2.74 ¥18.31

536.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$121

$11.92 ¥79.6

609.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.77

$4.46 ¥29.80

179.37%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.86

$2.17 ¥14.53

89.40%

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

$3.06 A$4.36

$0.29 ¥1.92

955.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.59

$0.27 ¥1.80

833.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$13.98

$1.45 ¥9.71

575.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.23

$1.46 ¥9.79

486.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.12

$1.48 ¥9.87

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.20

$1.75 ¥11.70

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.79

$0.91 ¥6.07

192.31%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.90

$0.86 ¥5.73

544.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.00

$11.71 ¥78.3

-10.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.77

$3.96 ¥26.49

143.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.72

$10.58 ¥70.7

43.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.70

$1.67 ¥11.16

138.92%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.31

$1.11 ¥7.44

172.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.43

$1.24 ¥8.27

150.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.87

$1.27 ¥8.51

279.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.32

$0.63 ¥4.22

380.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.49

$0.70 ¥4.68

248.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.51

$0.62 ¥4.16

296.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.32

$0.54 ¥3.64

201.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$62.9

$3.44 ¥22.98

1181.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.12

$9.75 ¥65.1

30.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.90

$0.76 ¥5.10

628.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.46

$1.75 ¥11.72

198.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.33

$0.29 ¥1.95

1189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$196

$16.56 ¥111

730.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.44

$1.29 ¥8.61

249.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.94

$0.29 ¥1.92

368.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.44

$4.52 ¥30.17

573.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.10

$1.37 ¥9.15

7.30%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$19.3K ¥129.3K

49.89%

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

$26.5K A$37.8K

$17.5K ¥117.0K

51.23%

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

$234 A$333

$90.2 ¥603

159.07%

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

$27.93 A$39.84

$6.31 ¥42.15

342.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$79.5

$10.84 ¥72.4

414.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$70.5

$46.46 ¥310

6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.64

$13.18 ¥88.1

62.97%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.53

$5.81 ¥38.79

159.72%

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

$2,371 A$3,383

$701 ¥4,682

238.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.1K

$17.5K ¥117.1K

72.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$39.43 ¥263

102.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$72.3

$37.67 ¥252

34.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$74.2 ¥496

62.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$186

$91.5 ¥611

42.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,509

$278 ¥1,857

533.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$1,982

$196 ¥1,310

608.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$4,984

$629 ¥4,205

455.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,557

$350 ¥2,335

613.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,881

$3,178 ¥21.2K

117.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,194

$1,815 ¥12.1K

255.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,252

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.35

76.12%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Baoji: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Baoji

$196 25.9% 85.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Baoji

$192 25.3% 50.1% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Baoji

$107 14.2% 66.2% $210

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Baoji

$74 9.8% 76.5% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Baoji

$109 14.4% 36.4% $63

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Baoji

$20 2.7% 87.5% $143

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Baoji

$58 7.7% 27% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $278 in Baoji. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $12.00 in Baoji for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $192 per month, with Baoji cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Baoji

🕒 Local time

16:04 4:04 PM

13:04 1:04 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,438,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.626 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.626 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.48 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Baoji 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Baoji

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

Melbourne vs Baoji: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baoji is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 273% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,231 in Melbourne and $1,135 in Baoji 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $278 in Baoji. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baoji runs roughly 730% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $701 in Baoji. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $756 in Baoji versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Baoji but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Baoji 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, Melbourne and Baoji 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 Baoji gentler on the wallet – expenses run 273% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.