Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Hiroshima

For one person, living is cheaper in Hiroshima: $963 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Hiroshima
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Hiroshima Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Hiroshima

🇯🇵 Japan

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Hiroshima

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $963 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Hiroshima $963

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,548 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Hiroshima $1,548

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $2,134 in Hiroshima, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Hiroshima $2,134

Melbourne costs about 193% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Hiroshima is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$5.86 ¥926

197.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$31.49 ¥4,975

168.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$5.11 ¥807

143.84%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.75 ¥434

49.45%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.96 ¥151

218.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.64 ¥101

293.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$2.69 ¥425

264.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$3.88 ¥613

120.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.45 ¥228

2.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.55 ¥245

89.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$4.80 ¥759

-44.58%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.06 ¥326

168.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$4.89 ¥773

114.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$5.89 ¥931

63.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.07 ¥1,749

37.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$3.29 ¥520

21.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.94 ¥307

55.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.80 ¥600

-18.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$3.88 ¥613

24.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$1.54 ¥244

96.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$3.43 ¥542

-28.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.36 ¥215

80.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.81 ¥129

101.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.96 ¥626

1012.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$7.84 ¥1,239

61.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.94 ¥307

185.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.48 ¥391

110.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$1.92 ¥304

94.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$33.30 ¥5,261

312.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.74 ¥591

20.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.25 ¥197

8.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$21.23 ¥3,354

43.43%

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

$21.9K ¥3.5M

32.43%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$14.7K ¥2.3M

80.26%

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

$234 A$336

$136 ¥21.5K

71.46%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$24.40 ¥3,855

14.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$30.36 ¥4,796

83.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$53.9 ¥8,511

-8.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$4.87 ¥769

341.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$11.80 ¥1,865

27.88%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$155 ¥24.4K

1434.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$3,376 ¥533.4K

794.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$27.92 ¥4,410

186.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$25.33 ¥4,001

100.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$47.84 ¥7,558

152.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$62.5 ¥9,878

108.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$239 ¥37.8K

635.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$192 ¥30.4K

623.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$618 ¥97.7K

464.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$501 ¥79.1K

398.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$3,001 ¥474.2K

130.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,413 ¥223.2K

356.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,006 ¥316.9K

118.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

2.21

166.97%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hiroshima: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Hiroshima

$192 20% 86.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Hiroshima

$255 26.4% 33.7% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Hiroshima

$191 19.9% 39.8% $126

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Hiroshima

$123 12.8% 61% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Hiroshima

$74 7.7% 57.1% $98

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Hiroshima

$51 5.3% 68.9% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Hiroshima

$77 8.1% 2.7% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $239 in Hiroshima. 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 118% 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 $31.00 in Hiroshima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $255 – making Hiroshima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇯🇵 Hiroshima

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

00:01 12:01 AM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,200,754

💱 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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Melbourne Hiroshima 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Hiroshima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne costs about 193% more than Hiroshima, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,231 per month in Melbourne and $1,444 in Hiroshima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,821 in Melbourne and $963 in Hiroshima. That's a gap of about 193%.

Public transport costs about 313% less in Hiroshima. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Hiroshima, where all-in costs run around $963, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Hiroshima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hiroshima – 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 Hiroshima. 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.