Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Fukuoka

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuoka: $1,259 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Fukuoka
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Fukuoka Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Fukuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Fukuoka

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $1,259 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Fukuoka $1,259

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $2,001 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Fukuoka $2,001

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $2,743 in Fukuoka, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Fukuoka $2,743

Melbourne costs about 124% more than Fukuoka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Fukuoka is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$7.20 ¥1,138

142.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$42.93 ¥6,783

96.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$5.84 ¥922

113.36%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.77 ¥596

9.02%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$1.03 ¥163

197.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.70 ¥111

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$3.79 ¥599

158.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$2.18 ¥344

293.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.54 ¥243

-3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.91 ¥302

53.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$6.64 ¥1,050

-59.94%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.29 ¥362

141.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$18.31 ¥2,893

-42.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$5.40 ¥853

78.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$19.00 ¥3,002

-19.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.54 ¥560

12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.81 ¥287

66.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$2.87 ¥453

8.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$3.36 ¥531

43.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.15 ¥340

40.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.59 ¥409

-5.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.02 ¥161

141.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.93 ¥147

75.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.79 ¥599

1062.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$6.49 ¥1,025

95.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.71 ¥270

223.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.81 ¥286

188.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.47 ¥232

154.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$41.37 ¥6,537

232.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.91 ¥618

15.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$2.09 ¥331

-34.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$17.67 ¥2,792

72.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.11 ¥175

32.43%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$21.5K ¥3.4M

34.70%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$17.6K ¥2.8M

50.29%

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

$234 A$336

$207 ¥32.8K

12.69%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$25.04 ¥3,955

11.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$32.65 ¥5,159

70.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$53.8 ¥8,506

-8.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$10.91 ¥1,724

38.31%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$126 ¥19.8K

1788.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

143.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$49.44 ¥7,811

61.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$25.89 ¥4,090

95.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$67.1 ¥10.6K

79.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$48.07 ¥7,594

171.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$486 ¥76.8K

261.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$303 ¥47.8K

359.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$1,233 ¥194.8K

183.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$730 ¥115.4K

241.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$6,329 ¥1.0M

9.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$2,696 ¥425.9K

139.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,657 ¥261.8K

164.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

1.97

199.49%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Fukuoka: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Fukuoka

$303 24% 78.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Fukuoka

$318 25.3% 17.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Fukuoka

$265 21.1% 16.5% $52

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Fukuoka

$151 12% 52.1% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Fukuoka

$86 6.8% 50.1% $86

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Fukuoka

$62 4.9% 62.4% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Fukuoka

$76 6% 4.9% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $486 in Fukuoka. 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 164% 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 $43.00 in Fukuoka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $318 – making Fukuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇯🇵 Fukuoka

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,612,392

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Fukuoka 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Fukuoka

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 Fukuoka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne, $1,259 in Fukuoka – roughly 124% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,889 in Fukuoka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,371 per month in Melbourne and $126 in Fukuoka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fukuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,259, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Fukuoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Fukuoka has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,259 in Fukuoka to $2,821 in Melbourne. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Fukuoka. 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.