Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Changzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Changzhou: $741 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,000 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 Changzhou
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Changzhou Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Changzhou

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Changzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $741 in Changzhou.

Melbourne $2,821
Changzhou $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,217 in Changzhou.

Melbourne $4,235
Changzhou $1,217

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,694 in Changzhou.

Melbourne $5,650
Changzhou $1,694

Living in Melbourne is roughly 281% more expensive than in Changzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Changzhou is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$24.97

$2.92 ¥19.51

496.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$121

$28.54 ¥191

196.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.85

$4.51 ¥30.16

176.27%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.88

$2.22 ¥14.82

85.14%

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

$3.06 A$4.38

$0.38 ¥2.55

705.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.61

$0.23 ¥1.53

995.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.04

$0.62 ¥4.15

1480.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.28

$1.45 ¥9.69

491.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.86 ¥12.47

-20.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.22

$1.28 ¥8.59

129.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.80

$1.00 ¥6.66

166.00%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.94

$1.72 ¥11.54

222.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.06

$7.41 ¥49.55

41.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.82

$2.82 ¥18.86

242.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.81

$12.35 ¥82.6

23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.72

$2.16 ¥14.44

84.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.32

$1.73 ¥11.58

74.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.44

$1.97 ¥13.14

57.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.90

$1.04 ¥6.97

363.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.34

$0.77 ¥5.13

293.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$0.99 ¥6.63

146.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.53

$0.39 ¥2.60

530.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.62 ¥4.18

162.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$3.29 ¥22.03

1239.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.20

$10.58 ¥70.8

20.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.93

$0.82 ¥5.49

575.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.49

$1.56 ¥10.45

235.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.36

$0.33 ¥2.20

1033.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$197

$14.32 ¥95.8

860.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.47

$1.51 ¥10.09

198.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.95

$0.31 ¥2.08

338.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.62

$2.93 ¥19.57

939.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.31 ¥8.74

12.21%

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

$29.0K A$41.5K

$17.1K ¥114.1K

69.93%

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

$26.5K A$37.9K

$13.8K ¥92.3K

91.75%

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

$234 A$335

$57.5 ¥385

306.33%

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

$27.93 A$40.01

$8.13 ¥54.3

243.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$79.9

$10.66 ¥71.3

422.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$70.8

$40.60 ¥272

21.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.77

$14.75 ¥98.7

45.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.62

$4.57 ¥30.53

230.20%

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

$2,371 A$3,397

$251 ¥1,681

843.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.3K

$15.1K ¥101.1K

99.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$55.3 ¥370

44.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$72.6

$22.58 ¥151

124.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$76.0 ¥508

58.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$76.2 ¥510

71.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,520

$285 ¥1,908

516.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$1,991

$229 ¥1,529

507.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,005

$917 ¥6,133

280.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,572

$495 ¥3,312

403.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,922

$2,942 ¥19.7K

135.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,233

$1,613 ¥10.8K

299.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,279

$1,067 ¥7,132

310.94%

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 Changzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Changzhou

$229 30.9% 83.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Changzhou

$192 25.9% 50.1% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Changzhou

$76 10.3% 76% $241

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Changzhou

$72 9.7% 77.1% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Changzhou

$104 14% 39.7% $68

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Changzhou

$19 2.5% 88.6% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Changzhou

$50 6.7% 37.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $285 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 311% 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: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $192 per month, with Changzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Changzhou

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

5,278,121

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 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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Melbourne Changzhou 8,160 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 281% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 311% higher in Melbourne, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,759 in Melbourne versus $285 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $741 in Changzhou versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou 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 Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 281% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.