Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Jieyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Jieyang: $676 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Jieyang
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Jieyang Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Jieyang

🇨🇳 China

$676

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Jieyang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $676 in Jieyang.

Melbourne $2,821
Jieyang $676

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,075 in Jieyang.

Melbourne $4,235
Jieyang $1,075

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,475 in Jieyang.

Melbourne $5,650
Jieyang $1,475

Living in Melbourne is roughly 318% more expensive than in Jieyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Jieyang is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$24.97

$2.14 ¥14.34

714.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$121

$12.92 ¥86.4

554.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.85

$3.85 ¥25.75

223.64%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.88

$2.43 ¥16.25

69.14%

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

$3.06 A$4.38

$0.46 ¥3.10

565.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.61

$0.35 ¥2.34

620.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.04

$0.94 ¥6.31

942.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.28

$1.81 ¥12.11

373.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.51 ¥10.12

-1.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.22

$2.38 ¥15.91

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.80

$0.99 ¥6.62

168.69%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.94

$0.88 ¥5.90

529.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.06

$12.08 ¥80.8

-13.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.82

$2.45 ¥16.37

293.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.81

$11.54 ¥77.2

31.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.72

$2.03 ¥13.60

96.55%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.32

$0.67 ¥4.49

350.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.44

$0.96 ¥6.44

222.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.90

$1.99 ¥13.32

142.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.34

$0.99 ¥6.61

206.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$1.81 ¥12.11

34.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.53

$0.43 ¥2.88

472.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.54 ¥3.61

201.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$2.95 ¥19.71

1393.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.20

$11.03 ¥73.8

15.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.93

$0.80 ¥5.34

592.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.49

$1.70 ¥11.35

207.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.36

$0.29 ¥1.94

1189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$197

$16.09 ¥108

754.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.47

$0.87 ¥5.79

418.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.95

$0.14 ¥0.96

871.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.62

$6.97 ¥46.59

336.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$0.93 ¥6.24

58.06%

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

$29.0K A$41.5K

$12.7K ¥84.9K

128.50%

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

$26.5K A$37.9K

$11.3K ¥75.7K

133.97%

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

$234 A$335

$43.06 ¥288

442.68%

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

$27.93 A$40.01

$8.45 ¥56.5

230.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$79.9

$11.23 ¥75.1

396.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$70.8

$42.07 ¥281

17.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.77

$14.26 ¥95.4

50.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.62

$6.05 ¥40.48

149.42%

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

$2,371 A$3,397

$501 ¥3,353

372.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.3K

$24.2K ¥161.8K

24.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$21.08 ¥141

279.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$72.6

$29.05 ¥194

74.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$60.0 ¥401

100.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$86.2 ¥576

51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,520

$300 ¥2,004

487.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$1,991

$180 ¥1,205

671.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,005

$619 ¥4,141

464.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,572

$382 ¥2,557

552.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,922

$3,517 ¥23.5K

96.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,233

$1,943 ¥13.0K

231.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,279

$1,095 ¥7,326

300.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.46

70.52%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jieyang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Jieyang

$180 26.7% 87% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Jieyang

$202 29.9% 47.4% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Jieyang

$63 9.3% 80.2% $255

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Jieyang

$69 10.3% 77.9% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Jieyang

$88 13.1% 48.6% $83

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Jieyang

$19 2.8% 88.5% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Jieyang

$54 8% 31.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $300 in Jieyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 300% 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 $13.00 in Jieyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $202 per month, with Jieyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Jieyang

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

16:02 4:02 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

5,877,025

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Melbourne Jieyang 7,450 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Jieyang

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 Jieyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jieyang wins on cost – living expenses run 318% lower than in Melbourne. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jieyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 300% 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 $300 in Jieyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Melbourne versus $676 in Jieyang – a 318% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jieyang runs roughly 755% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $676 in Jieyang versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jieyang but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Jieyang 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 Jieyang 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 Jieyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 318% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.