Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Hua-lien

For one person, living is cheaper in Hua-lien: $1,076 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Hua-lien
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Hua-lien Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Hua-lien

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Hua-lien

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 Hua-lien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,076 in Hua-lien.

Melbourne $2,821
Hua-lien $1,076

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,820 in Hua-lien.

Melbourne $4,235
Hua-lien $1,820

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $2,563 in Hua-lien.

Melbourne $5,650
Hua-lien $2,563

Living in Melbourne is roughly 162% more expensive than in Hua-lien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Hua-lien is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.99 NT$129

336.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$28.74 NT$932

194.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.28 NT$139

191.12%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.78 NT$90.3

47.84%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.93 NT$30.01

229.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.56 NT$18.18

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$1.33 NT$43.12

636.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$2.09 NT$67.6

310.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.93 NT$95.1

-49.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.76 NT$56.9

67.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$4.50 NT$146

-40.89%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.98 NT$64.1

179.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$19.63 NT$636

-46.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$6.20 NT$201

55.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$25.54 NT$828

-40.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$2.66 NT$86.3

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.50 NT$80.9

20.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$3.21 NT$104

-3.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$3.18 NT$103

51.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.43 NT$78.7

24.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.30 NT$74.6

6.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$2.02 NT$65.5

21.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.98 NT$31.72

66.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.88 NT$126

1035.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$12.63 NT$410

0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.91 NT$62.1

190.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.35 NT$76.1

122.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.61 NT$19.64

513.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$36.66 NT$1,189

275.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.08 NT$99.8

46.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.31 NT$9.91

338.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$10.36 NT$336

193.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.89 NT$28.98

65.17%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$33.7K NT$1.1M

-14.03%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$26.6K NT$862.6K

-0.47%

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

$234 A$336

$103 NT$3,332

127.40%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$19.48 NT$632

43.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$12.54 NT$407

344.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$36.61 NT$1,187

34.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$10.12 NT$328

49.11%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$767 NT$24.9K

209.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$16.4K NT$533.1K

83.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$57.1 NT$1,850

40.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$36.07 NT$1,170

40.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$79.5 NT$2,576

51.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$107 NT$3,455

22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$404 NT$13.1K

335.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$253 NT$8,204

449.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$985 NT$31.9K

254.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$740 NT$24.0K

237.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$7,755 NT$251.5K

-10.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$4,989 NT$161.8K

29.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$2,940 NT$95.3K

49.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

2.13

177.00%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Hua-lien: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Hua-lien

$253 23.5% 81.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Hua-lien

$368 34.2% 4.3% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Hua-lien

$135 12.5% 57.5% $183

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Hua-lien

$95 8.8% 69.8% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Hua-lien

$126 11.7% 26.9% $46

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Hua-lien

$44 4.1% 73.3% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Hua-lien

$57 5.3% 28.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $404 in Hua-lien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 49% 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 $29.00 in Hua-lien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $368 per month, with Hua-lien cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇹🇼 Hua-lien

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

09:27 9:27 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

105,034

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, 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).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Hua-lien 7,290 km ≈ 10 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 Hua-lien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hua-lien wins on cost – living expenses run 162% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hua-lien the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 49% 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 $404 in Hua-lien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hua-lien – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $85.0 in Melbourne. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,076 in Hua-lien versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hua-lien but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien 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 Hua-lien gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.