Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Maoming

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $709 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Maoming
Learn more

Maoming Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Maoming

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Maoming

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

A single person spends $2,821 per month in Melbourne vs $709 in Maoming, rent included.

Melbourne $2,821
Maoming $709

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Melbourne vs $1,137 in Maoming, rent included.

Melbourne $4,235
Maoming $1,137

A family of three spends $5,650 per month in Melbourne vs $1,566 in Maoming, rent included.

Melbourne $5,650
Maoming $1,566

Melbourne costs about 298% more than Maoming, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Melbourne sits 109% above the global median, while Maoming is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$2.62 ¥17.53

565.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$23.74 ¥159

256.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$4.01 ¥26.83

210.72%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$2.75 ¥18.36

49.45%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.50 ¥3.35

512.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.29 ¥1.93

768.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$0.95 ¥6.35

931.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$2.29 ¥15.32

274.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$1.74 ¥11.65

-14.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.77 ¥11.81

66.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$1.00 ¥6.67

166.00%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.66 ¥11.09

233.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$13.96 ¥93.4

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.47 ¥23.17

178.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$11.04 ¥73.9

37.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$1.93 ¥12.90

106.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.34 ¥8.99

125.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$1.55 ¥10.36

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$1.25 ¥8.34

285.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$0.69 ¥4.64

339.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$0.95 ¥6.33

156.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$0.66 ¥4.43

272.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.55 ¥3.66

196.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$3.37 ¥22.55

1207.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$11.67 ¥78.0

8.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$0.84 ¥5.59

559.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$1.54 ¥10.26

239.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.29 ¥1.92

1189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$17.23 ¥115

698.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$1.51 ¥10.09

198.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.36 ¥2.39

277.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$7.12 ¥47.62

327.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$1.29 ¥8.64

13.95%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$19.4K ¥129.5K

49.71%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$17.5K ¥117.2K

51.02%

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

$234 A$336

$57.6 ¥385

305.69%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$8.78 ¥58.7

218.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$11.99 ¥80.2

364.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$33.74 ¥226

46.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$15.10 ¥101

42.25%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$6.18 ¥41.32

144.17%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$463 ¥3,098

411.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$17.2K ¥115.0K

75.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$44.17 ¥295

81.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$33.79 ¥226

50.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$80.7 ¥540

49.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$67.8 ¥453

92.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$257 ¥1,715

585.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$171 ¥1,140

714.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$601 ¥4,017

481.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$339 ¥2,267

635.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$3,926 ¥26.2K

76.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$1,723 ¥11.5K

274.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$1,026 ¥6,857

327.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.36

75.60%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Maoming: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Maoming

$171 24.1% 87.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Maoming

$212 29.9% 44.8% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Maoming

$78 11.1% 75.3% $239

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Maoming

$78 11.1% 75.1% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Maoming

$102 14.4% 40.7% $70

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Maoming

$22 3.1% 86.8% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Maoming

$46 6.5% 42.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,759 in Melbourne versus $257 in Maoming. 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 327% 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 $24.00 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $212 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Maoming

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

1,217,000

💱 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 Maoming 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Maoming

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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Melbourne is pricier by about 298%, 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 $1,064 in Maoming. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 81% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Melbourne and $24.00 in Maoming. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Melbourne at $2,821. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maoming – 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 Maoming. 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.