Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Gongzhuling

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongzhuling: $591 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,800 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Gongzhuling
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Gongzhuling Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 China

$591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Gongzhuling

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $591 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Gongzhuling $591

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $946 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Gongzhuling $946

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,300 in Gongzhuling, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Gongzhuling $1,300

Melbourne costs about 377% more than Gongzhuling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Gongzhuling is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$2.10 ¥14.06

730.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$16.39 ¥110

415.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.60 ¥30.75

170.87%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$1.98 ¥13.24

107.58%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.43 ¥2.91

611.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.23 ¥1.54

995.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$0.72 ¥4.84

1261.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$1.61 ¥10.75

432.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.31 ¥8.74

12.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$2.18 ¥14.60

34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.08 ¥7.22

146.30%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.03 ¥6.86

437.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$7.44 ¥49.77

41.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.66 ¥24.45

163.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$9.21 ¥61.6

65.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$0.59 ¥3.93

576.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$0.65 ¥4.34

364.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$0.54 ¥3.60

474.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$0.43 ¥2.88

1020.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$0.46 ¥3.10

558.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$0.54 ¥3.59

351.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.43 ¥2.88

472.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.58 ¥3.85

181.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.68 ¥24.63

1097.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$10.47 ¥70.0

21.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$0.64 ¥4.27

765.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.14 ¥7.60

358.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.31 ¥2.10

1106.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$17.64 ¥118

679.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.15 ¥7.67

292.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.35 ¥2.37

288.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$2.63 ¥17.56

1057.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.25 ¥8.35

17.60%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$19.1K ¥127.6K

52.00%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$16.4K ¥109.8K

61.28%

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

$234 A$336

$28.49 ¥190

720.22%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$5.81 ¥38.84

380.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$10.41 ¥69.6

435.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$42.01 ¥281

17.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$15.34 ¥103

40.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$5.12 ¥34.25

194.73%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$400 ¥2,673

493.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$11.5K ¥76.7K

163.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$16.10 ¥108

396.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$22.24 ¥149

127.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$59.3 ¥397

103.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$44.86 ¥300

190.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$300 ¥2,009

485.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$184 ¥1,233

653.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$637 ¥4,261

448.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$375 ¥2,505

565.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$3,488 ¥23.3K

98.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,926 ¥12.9K

234.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$341 ¥2,280

1185.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.5

68.57%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Gongzhuling: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Gongzhuling

$184 31.2% 86.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Gongzhuling

$160 27.1% 58.3% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Gongzhuling

$45 7.6% 85.9% $273

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 79.7% $251

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8% 62.7% $108

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Gongzhuling

$22 3.7% 86.7% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Gongzhuling

$52 8.8% 34.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $300 in Gongzhuling. 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 1185% 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 $16.00 in Gongzhuling. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $160 – making Gongzhuling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Gongzhuling

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

862,313

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Melbourne Gongzhuling 9,300 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
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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 Gongzhuling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 377%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $887 in Gongzhuling. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gongzhuling, 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 $400 in Gongzhuling. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 140% 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 Gongzhuling, where all-in costs run around $591, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Gongzhuling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gongzhuling – 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 Gongzhuling. 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.