Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Foshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Foshan
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Foshan Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Foshan

🇨🇳 China

$777

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Foshan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $777 in Foshan.

Melbourne $2,821
Foshan $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,242 in Foshan.

Melbourne $4,235
Foshan $1,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,708 in Foshan.

Melbourne $5,650
Foshan $1,708

Living in Melbourne is roughly 263% more expensive than in Foshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Foshan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$24.97

$3.78 ¥25.26

361.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$121

$22.79 ¥152

271.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.85

$5.11 ¥34.20

143.84%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.88

$3.07 ¥20.51

33.88%

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

$3.06 A$4.38

$0.52 ¥3.49

488.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.61

$0.31 ¥2.09

712.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.04

$1.22 ¥8.17

703.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.28

$1.89 ¥12.61

353.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.66 ¥11.11

-10.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.22

$1.12 ¥7.48

162.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.80

$0.92 ¥6.16

189.13%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.94

$1.70 ¥11.38

225.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.06

$16.68 ¥112

-36.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.82

$3.92 ¥26.18

146.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.81

$10.69 ¥71.5

42.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.72

$3.01 ¥20.16

32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.32

$1.27 ¥8.51

137.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.44

$1.90 ¥12.69

63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.90

$1.63 ¥10.92

195.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.34

$1.09 ¥7.27

177.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$0.95 ¥6.39

156.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.53

$0.64 ¥4.26

284.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.50 ¥3.37

226.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$2.23 ¥14.90

1876.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.20

$10.23 ¥68.4

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.93

$0.93 ¥6.24

495.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.49

$1.51 ¥10.13

246.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.36

$0.31 ¥2.08

1106.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$197

$10.62 ¥71.0

1194.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.47

$1.52 ¥10.18

196.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.95

$0.47 ¥3.15

189.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.62

$8.81 ¥58.9

245.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.22 ¥8.19

20.49%

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

$29.0K A$41.5K

$21.3K ¥142.3K

36.28%

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

$26.5K A$37.9K

$16.2K ¥108.3K

63.46%

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

$234 A$335

$84.5 ¥565

176.48%

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

$27.93 A$40.01

$7.92 ¥53.0

252.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$79.9

$15.69 ¥105

255.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$70.8

$71.4 ¥477

-30.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.77

$23.83 ¥159

-9.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.62

$5.31 ¥35.51

184.18%

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

$2,371 A$3,397

$457 ¥3,055

419.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.3K

$23.3K ¥155.8K

29.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$42.21 ¥282

89.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$72.6

$18.76 ¥125

170.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$62.1 ¥415

94.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$91.8 ¥614

42.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,520

$304 ¥2,032

479.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$1,991

$159 ¥1,061

775.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,005

$596 ¥3,983

486.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,572

$341 ¥2,280

631.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,922

$4,329 ¥28.9K

60.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,233

$1,864 ¥12.5K

245.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,279

$802 ¥5,363

446.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.83

54.05%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Foshan

$159 20.4% 88.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Foshan

$220 28.4% 42.6% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Foshan

$108 13.9% 65.9% $209

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Foshan

$96 12.3% 69.6% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Foshan

$97 12.4% 43.7% $75

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Foshan

$16 2% 90.4% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Foshan

$82 10.6% 3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $304 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 446% 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 $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $220 per month, with Foshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Foshan

🕒 Local time

19:50 7:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

9,498,863

💱 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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Between locations

Melbourne Foshan 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Foshan

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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 263% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 446% 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 $304 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 1195% 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 $457 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $777 in Foshan versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan 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 Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 263% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.