Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Fukuyama

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukuyama: $1,134 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Fukuyama
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Fukuyama Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Fukuyama

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,134

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Fukuyama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,853 in Melbourne versus $1,134 in Fukuyama.

Melbourne $2,853
Fukuyama $1,134

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Melbourne versus $1,805 in Fukuyama.

Melbourne $4,275
Fukuyama $1,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,697 in Melbourne versus $2,476 in Fukuyama.

Melbourne $5,697
Fukuyama $2,476

Living in Melbourne is roughly 152% more expensive than in Fukuyama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 111% above, Fukuyama is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$7.51 ¥1,186

129.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$31.20 ¥4,929

166.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$4.90 ¥775

153.67%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$3.27 ¥517

23.85%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$0.83 ¥132

275.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.52 ¥82.7

373.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$1.91 ¥302

398.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$3.20 ¥505

155.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$0.98 ¥155

59.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$0.79 ¥125

267.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$5.88 ¥929

-54.76%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$2.07 ¥326

159.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$8.75 ¥1,382

21.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$3.39 ¥535

190.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$10.76 ¥1,700

42.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$4.99 ¥788

-16.43%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$2.33 ¥369

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$4.95 ¥782

-34.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$3.66 ¥578

30.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$1.87 ¥296

63.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$1.64 ¥259

50.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$0.99 ¥157

147.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.39 ¥62.4

317.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$3.85 ¥608

1073.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$7.75 ¥1,224

63.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$1.64 ¥259

246.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$3.19 ¥503

63.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$1.45 ¥229

166.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

$52.9 ¥8,358

168.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$3.39 ¥535

33.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$3.82 ¥603

-62.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$28.88 ¥4,563

5.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.02 ¥162

44.12%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

$12.4K ¥2.0M

132.63%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$15.5K ¥2.4M

67.53%

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

$235 A$338

$103 ¥16.3K

127.82%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$18.57 ¥2,934

47.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$30.10 ¥4,755

86.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$51.1 ¥8,072

-1.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

$1.92 ¥304

1019.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

$12.19 ¥1,926

45.69%

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

$2,385 A$3,432

$651 ¥102.9K

266.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

$6,461 ¥1.0M

359.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$37.55 ¥5,933

110.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

$31.32 ¥4,949

58.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

$63.5 ¥10.0K

86.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$102 ¥16.1K

29.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$535 ¥84.6K

229.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$335 ¥53.0K

320.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$1,101 ¥174.0K

219.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$745 ¥117.7K

238.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

$4,284 ¥676.8K

66.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$1,742 ¥275.2K

264.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$1,387 ¥219.1K

207.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

490.00%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Fukuyama: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Fukuyama

$335 29.6% 76.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Fukuyama

$250 22% 35.7% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Fukuyama

$152 13.4% 52.3% $167

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Fukuyama

$135 11.9% 56.3% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Fukuyama

$105 9.3% 38.2% $65

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Fukuyama

$81 7.2% 52% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Fukuyama

$75 6.7% 11.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,763 in Melbourne and $535 in Fukuyama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 207% 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: $83.0 in Melbourne vs $31.00 in Fukuyama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $250 per month, with Fukuyama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇯🇵 Fukuyama

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

05:46 5:46 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

460,930

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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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Melbourne Fukuyama 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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 Fukuyama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fukuyama wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fukuyama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 207% 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: $1,763 in Melbourne versus $535 in Fukuyama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,385 in Melbourne versus $651 in Fukuyama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,134 in Fukuyama versus $2,853 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fukuyama but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Fukuyama 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 Fukuyama 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 Fukuyama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.