Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Changshu

For one person, living is cheaper in Changshu: $707 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Changshu
Learn more

Changshu Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Changshu

🇨🇳 China

$707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Changshu

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 Changshu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $707 in Changshu.

Melbourne $2,852
Changshu $707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $1,120 in Changshu.

Melbourne $4,297
Changshu $1,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $1,532 in Changshu.

Melbourne $5,742
Changshu $1,532

Living in Melbourne is roughly 303% more expensive than in Changshu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 113% above, Changshu is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.51

$2.71 ¥18.12

554.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$122

$21.35 ¥143

297.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.47

$4.98 ¥33.30

144.18%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.64

$3.09 ¥20.67

27.18%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$0.43 ¥2.88

630.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$0.27 ¥1.80

800.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.23

$0.94 ¥6.27

953.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.91

$2.06 ¥13.78

302.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.87 ¥12.49

-17.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.32

$1.56 ¥10.44

92.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.14

$0.90 ¥6.03

220.00%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.82

$1.54 ¥10.31

253.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.23

$12.88 ¥86.1

-17.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.81

$3.17 ¥21.16

203.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.55

$10.11 ¥67.5

48.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.97

$1.82 ¥12.19

128.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$1.25 ¥8.33

144.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$1.54 ¥10.29

114.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.84

$1.14 ¥7.64

317.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.36

$0.69 ¥4.60

340.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$0.89 ¥5.98

186.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.56

$0.56 ¥3.76

342.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.50 ¥3.37

226.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.3

$3.04 ¥20.35

1349.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.86

$10.65 ¥71.2

16.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.66

$0.74 ¥4.97

620.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.41

$1.63 ¥10.91

216.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.52

$0.27 ¥1.78

1322.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$16.85 ¥113

739.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.32

$1.37 ¥9.16

221.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.02

$0.35 ¥2.35

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.86

$6.82 ¥45.56

337.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.10

$1.14 ¥7.61

28.07%

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

$28.1K A$40.4K

$19.4K ¥129.4K

45.42%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$16.9K ¥113.2K

53.22%

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

$233 A$334

$44.92 ¥300

417.92%

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

$27.28 A$39.20

$9.95 ¥66.5

174.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$11.63 ¥77.7

390.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.7

$42.26 ¥282

24.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.50

$13.67 ¥91.3

65.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.58

$5.88 ¥39.29

190.82%

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

$2,373 A$3,411

$340 ¥2,272

598.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.8K

$17.1K ¥114.4K

77.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$43.35 ¥290

80.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.5

$30.09 ¥201

67.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$70.8 ¥473

70.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$73.3 ¥490

81.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,461

$277 ¥1,853

517.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,015

$192 ¥1,281

631.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,798

$596 ¥3,986

459.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,634

$355 ¥2,370

613.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.1K

$3,056 ¥20.4K

129.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,725

$2,007 ¥13.4K

237.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,077

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.89

51.67%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Changshu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Changshu

$192 26.8% 86.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Changshu

$198 27.7% 48.7% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Changshu

$67 9.3% 79% $250

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Changshu

$85 12% 72.8% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Changshu

$98 13.7% 43.1% $74

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Changshu

$21 3% 87.5% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Changshu

$54 7.6% 37.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Melbourne and $277 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $21.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $198 per month, with Changshu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Changshu

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,677,050

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Changshu 8,120 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 303% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,277 in Melbourne and $1,061 in Changshu 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: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $277 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,852 per month in Melbourne versus $707 in Changshu – a 303% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $707 in Changshu versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu 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 Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 303% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.