Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Chongqing

For one person, living is cheaper in Chongqing: $714 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 Chongqing
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Chongqing Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Chongqing

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Chongqing

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

A single person spends $2,852 per month in Melbourne vs $714 in Chongqing, rent included.

Melbourne $2,852
Chongqing $714

A couple spends around $4,297 per month in Melbourne vs $1,168 in Chongqing, rent included.

Melbourne $4,297
Chongqing $1,168

A family of three spends $5,742 per month in Melbourne vs $1,622 in Chongqing, rent included.

Melbourne $5,742
Chongqing $1,622

Melbourne costs about 299% more than Chongqing, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 113% above the global median, while Chongqing is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$2.64 ¥17.67

572.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$22.05 ¥147

284.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$4.67 ¥31.20

160.39%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$2.06 ¥13.79

90.78%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$0.43 ¥2.90

630.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$0.31 ¥2.09

683.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$1.20 ¥8.02

725.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$1.75 ¥11.71

373.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.92 ¥12.85

-19.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$1.58 ¥10.56

90.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$0.64 ¥4.25

350.00%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$2.16 ¥14.42

151.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

$17.55 ¥117

-39.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

$3.37 ¥22.55

185.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

$10.08 ¥67.4

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

$1.56 ¥10.43

166.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

$1.35 ¥9.01

125.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

$1.25 ¥8.35

164.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

$1.25 ¥8.32

280.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$0.61 ¥4.07

398.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$0.94 ¥6.31

171.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$0.87 ¥5.83

185.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.62 ¥4.13

162.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$3.07 ¥20.51

1335.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

$8.95 ¥59.8

38.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

$0.76 ¥5.10

601.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$1.64 ¥10.93

214.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

$0.39 ¥2.59

884.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$22.16 ¥148

538.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

$1.53 ¥10.24

187.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.29 ¥1.91

382.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

$2.96 ¥19.81

907.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.26 ¥8.44

15.87%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

$19.5K ¥130.3K

44.37%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

$16.8K ¥112.4K

54.25%

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

$233 A$333

$44.19 ¥295

426.48%

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

$27.28 A$39.04

$6.95 ¥46.43

292.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

$7.17 ¥47.91

695.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

$50.7 ¥339

4.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

$10.64 ¥71.1

112.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

$5.94 ¥39.71

187.88%

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

$2,373 A$3,397

$290 ¥1,939

718.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

$25.6K ¥171.0K

19.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$39.88 ¥267

96.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

$29.80 ¥199

69.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$64.8 ¥433

85.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$62.7 ¥419

112.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$418 ¥2,790

310.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

$200 ¥1,338

600.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

$880 ¥5,879

279.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$414 ¥2,767

510.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

$2,681 ¥17.9K

161.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

$1,705 ¥11.4K

296.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

$1,111 ¥7,423

280.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.34

76.65%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Chongqing: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Chongqing

$200 27.7% 85.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Chongqing

$213 29.5% 44.8% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Chongqing

$58 8.1% 81.6% $259

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Chongqing

$72 10% 76.9% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Chongqing

$89 12.3% 48.4% $83

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Chongqing

$27 3.7% 84.2% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Chongqing

$63 8.7% 28% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,713 in Melbourne versus $418 in Chongqing. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 281% 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 $85.0 in Melbourne versus $22.00 in Chongqing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $213 – making Chongqing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Chongqing

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

16:23 4:23 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,564,449

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Chongqing 8,490 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Chongqing

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 Chongqing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 299%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,277 per month in Melbourne and $1,071 in Chongqing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chongqing, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $2,373 per month in Melbourne and $290 in Chongqing. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Melbourne, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Chongqing, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Melbourne at $2,852. In Chongqing it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chongqing – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Chongqing. 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.