Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Liaocheng

For one person, living is cheaper in Liaocheng: $650 a month against $2,853 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $26,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Liaocheng
Learn more

Liaocheng Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,853

/mo nomad

Liaocheng

🇨🇳 China

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Liaocheng

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

A single person spends $2,853 per month in Melbourne vs $650 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Melbourne $2,853
Liaocheng $650

A couple spends around $4,275 per month in Melbourne vs $1,036 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Melbourne $4,275
Liaocheng $1,036

A family of three spends $5,697 per month in Melbourne vs $1,422 in Liaocheng, rent included.

Melbourne $5,697
Liaocheng $1,422

Melbourne costs about 339% more than Liaocheng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 111% above the global median, while Liaocheng is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.20 A$24.75

$2.56 ¥17.11

571.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$120

$13.71 ¥91.7

506.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 A$17.88

$4.89 ¥32.69

154.19%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.82

$1.89 ¥12.66

114.29%

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

$3.12 A$4.50

$0.37 ¥2.46

743.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.21 ¥1.40

1071.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.52 A$13.71

$0.79 ¥5.27

1105.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 A$11.74

$1.94 ¥12.94

320.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.25

$1.52 ¥10.17

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 A$4.18

$1.41 ¥9.45

105.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$0.92 ¥6.18

189.13%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.72

$1.08 ¥7.21

397.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 A$15.36

$11.62 ¥77.7

-8.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.17

$2.91 ¥19.46

238.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.36 A$22.11

$11.01 ¥73.6

39.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$1.39 ¥9.30

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$1.00 ¥6.71

215.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.69

$1.42 ¥9.52

129.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$1.13 ¥7.58

321.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.41

$0.58 ¥3.85

427.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.55

$0.74 ¥4.94

233.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 A$3.52

$0.58 ¥3.85

322.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.63 ¥4.19

158.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.17 A$65.0

$2.20 ¥14.71

1953.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.25

$9.84 ¥65.8

28.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$0.72 ¥4.79

690.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.53

$1.35 ¥9.06

287.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 A$5.57

$0.29 ¥1.94

1234.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$204

$18.03 ¥121

687.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 A$6.53

$1.22 ¥8.13

272.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.04

$0.27 ¥1.82

425.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.59 A$44.01

$4.56 ¥30.51

570.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.10 ¥7.38

33.64%

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

$28.9K A$41.5K

$19.8K ¥132.2K

45.99%

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

$25.9K A$37.3K

$14.9K ¥99.6K

73.95%

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

$235 A$338

$45.39 ¥304

417.98%

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

$27.45 A$39.51

$5.88 ¥39.31

366.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.8

$5.15 ¥34.46

989.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 A$72.1

$41.26 ¥276

21.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.49 A$30.93

$14.79 ¥98.9

45.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 A$25.56

$4.43 ¥29.64

300.90%

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

$2,385 A$3,432

$216 ¥1,444

1004.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.7K

$19.9K ¥133.3K

48.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$34.21 ¥229

131.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.49 A$71.2

$29.89 ¥200

65.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$170

$70.7 ¥473

67.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$59.1 ¥395

123.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,763 A$2,537

$304 ¥2,035

479.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 A$2,031

$183 ¥1,224

671.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 A$5,069

$639 ¥4,275

450.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 A$3,634

$383 ¥2,563

558.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,136 A$10.3K

$3,543 ¥23.7K

101.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,355 A$9,144

$1,302 ¥8,708

387.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,258 A$6,128

$590 ¥3,945

621.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.13

88.50%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 17, 2026

Last update for Liaocheng: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.5%

Liaocheng

$183 28.2% 87% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$388 13.6%

Liaocheng

$183 28.2% 52.8% $205

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$319 11.2%

Liaocheng

$56 8.7% 82.3% $262

Eating Out

Melbourne

$310 10.9%

Liaocheng

$68 10.5% 78% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Liaocheng

$87 13.4% 48.9% $83

Getting Around

Melbourne

$169 5.9%

Liaocheng

$22 3.4% 87.1% $147

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$86 3%

Liaocheng

$50 7.7% 41.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,763 in Melbourne versus $304 in Liaocheng. 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 622% 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 $83.0 in Melbourne versus $14.00 in Liaocheng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $183 – making Liaocheng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Liaocheng

🕒 Local time

21:46 9:46 PM

18:46 6:46 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,230,000

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Liaocheng 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Liaocheng

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 Liaocheng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 339%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,280 per month in Melbourne and $975 in Liaocheng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 687% less in Liaocheng. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,385 per month in Melbourne and $216 in Liaocheng. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Liaocheng, where all-in costs run around $650, than in Melbourne at $2,853. In Liaocheng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Liaocheng – 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 Liaocheng. 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.