Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Dongying

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongying: $705 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Dongying
Learn more

Dongying Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Dongying

🇨🇳 China

$705

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Dongying

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $705 in Dongying.

Melbourne $2,852
Dongying $705

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $1,139 in Dongying.

Melbourne $4,297
Dongying $1,139

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $1,572 in Dongying.

Melbourne $5,742
Dongying $1,572

Living in Melbourne is roughly 304% more expensive than in Dongying, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.51

$2.86 ¥19.13

520.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$122

$21.81 ¥146

288.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.47

$4.92 ¥32.86

147.15%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.64

$3.10 ¥20.71

26.77%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$0.44 ¥2.93

613.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.49

$0.29 ¥1.95

737.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.23

$0.95 ¥6.37

942.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.91

$2.10 ¥14.05

294.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.22

$1.88 ¥12.59

-17.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.32

$1.61 ¥10.78

86.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.14

$0.92 ¥6.12

213.04%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.82

$1.60 ¥10.71

240.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.23

$12.91 ¥86.3

-17.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.81

$3.16 ¥21.13

204.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.55

$10.03 ¥67.0

49.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.97

$1.86 ¥12.40

123.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$1.21 ¥8.10

152.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$1.48 ¥9.86

122.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.84

$1.15 ¥7.66

313.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.36

$0.69 ¥4.60

340.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$0.98 ¥6.52

160.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.56

$0.57 ¥3.78

335.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.52 ¥3.45

213.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.3

$3.16 ¥21.14

1294.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.86

$10.48 ¥70.0

18.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.66

$0.81 ¥5.39

558.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.41

$1.65 ¥11.01

212.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.52

$0.29 ¥1.96

1224.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$16.73 ¥112

745.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.32

$1.43 ¥9.53

207.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.02

$0.33 ¥2.18

324.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.86

$6.80 ¥45.42

338.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.10

$1.12 ¥7.47

30.36%

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

$28.1K A$40.4K

$19.5K ¥130.4K

44.24%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$17.4K ¥116.0K

49.45%

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

$233 A$334

$44.89 ¥300

418.27%

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

$27.28 A$39.20

$9.96 ¥66.6

173.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$82.0

$11.55 ¥77.2

393.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.7

$41.59 ¥278

26.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.50

$14.06 ¥93.9

60.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.58

$5.79 ¥38.69

195.34%

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

$2,373 A$3,411

$336 ¥2,245

606.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.8K

$16.9K ¥113.1K

80.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$43.57 ¥291

79.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.5

$30.12 ¥201

67.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$70.7 ¥473

70.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$72.7 ¥486

83.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,461

$275 ¥1,839

522.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,015

$194 ¥1,296

622.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,798

$581 ¥3,880

475.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,634

$360 ¥2,406

602.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.1K

$2,987 ¥20.0K

134.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,725

$2,015 ¥13.5K

235.87%

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 Dongying: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Dongying

$194 27% 86.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Dongying

$199 27.7% 48.4% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Dongying

$66 9.3% 79.1% $251

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Dongying

$87 12.1% 72.4% $227

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Dongying

$98 13.6% 43.2% $74

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Dongying

$21 2.9% 87.6% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Dongying

$53 7.4% 38.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Melbourne and $275 in Dongying. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Melbourne vs $22.00 in Dongying for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $199 per month, with Dongying cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Dongying

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

2,035,300

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.46 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Dongying 8,800 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Dongying

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 Dongying: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongying is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 304% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,277 in Melbourne and $1,058 in Dongying 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 $275 in Dongying. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,373 in Melbourne versus $336 in Dongying. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $705 in Dongying versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongying but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Dongying 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 Dongying 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 Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 304% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.