Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ongjin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongjin: $710 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Ongjin
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Ongjin Living Index

Jump to prices

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Ongjin

🇰🇵 North Korea

$710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Ongjin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,852 in Melbourne versus $710 in Ongjin.

Melbourne $2,852
Ongjin $710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Melbourne versus $1,126 in Ongjin.

Melbourne $4,297
Ongjin $1,126

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Melbourne versus $1,543 in Ongjin.

Melbourne $5,742
Ongjin $1,543

Living in Melbourne is roughly 302% more expensive than in Ongjin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 113% above, Ongjin is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.75 A$25.40

$2.79 $2.79

536.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 A$121

$23.34 $23.34

263.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.40

$7.98 $7.98

52.38%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.62

$1.16 $1.16

238.79%

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

$3.14 A$4.49

$0.98 $0.98

220.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 A$3.47

$0.98 $0.98

147.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.90 A$14.17

$6.64 $6.64

49.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 A$11.86

$2.26 $2.26

266.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$0.93 $0.93

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.31

$1.57 $1.57

91.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.12

$2.26 $2.26

27.43%

Eggs

$5.44 A$7.79

$3.28 $3.28

65.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 A$15.16

$4.66 $4.66

127.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 A$13.76

$2.29 $2.29

319.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 A$21.46

$5.67 $5.67

164.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 A$5.94

$6.80 $6.80

-38.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.37

$4.63 $4.63

-34.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.72

$2.34 $2.34

41.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.81

$2.29 $2.29

107.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.34

$3.50 $3.50

-13.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.65

$3.33 $3.33

-23.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.55

$2.31 $2.31

7.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.43 $0.43

279.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$4.67 $4.67

843.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 A$17.79

$7.81 $7.81

59.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.63

$1.11 $1.11

380.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.38

$2.23 $2.23

131.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.50

$1.00 $1.00

284.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$203

$39.98 $39.98

253.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.29

$1.57 $1.57

180.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 A$2.01

$2.23 $2.23

-37.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 A$42.69

$41.01 $41.01

-27.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.09

$0.75 $0.75

94.67%

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

$28.1K A$40.3K

$23.0K $23.0K

22.43%

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

$25.9K A$37.1K

$27.9K $27.9K

-7.00%

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

$233 A$333

$33.78 $33.78

588.72%

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

$27.28 A$39.04

$11.46 $11.46

138.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 A$81.6

$45.71 $45.71

24.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 A$75.4

$43.61 $43.61

20.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.62 A$32.37

$14.96 $14.96

51.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$24.48

$7.75 $7.75

120.65%

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

$2,373 A$3,397

$109 $109

2072.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K A$43.6K

$2,117 $2,117

1339.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$112

$22.72 $22.72

244.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 A$72.2

$27.97 $27.97

80.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$61.6 $61.6

95.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$191

$84.1 $84.1

58.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 A$2,451

$89.2 $89.2

1820.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,402 A$2,006

$91.3 $91.3

1435.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,339 A$4,778

$2,244 $2,244

48.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 A$3,619

$136 $136

1757.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,018 A$10.0K

$1,691 $1,691

315.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,767 A$9,685

$1,423 $1,423

375.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,051

$214 $214

1873.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

7.11

-17.02%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ongjin: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Ongjin

$91 12.7% 93.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$385 13.5%

Ongjin

$229 31.8% 40.5% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.1%

Ongjin

$91 12.6% 71.3% $226

Eating Out

Melbourne

$314 11%

Ongjin

$106 14.7% 66.3% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Ongjin

$88 12.3% 48.6% $84

Getting Around

Melbourne

$168 5.9%

Ongjin

$57 7.9% 66.3% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$87 3.1%

Ongjin

$59 8.2% 32% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,713 in Melbourne and $89.2 in Ongjin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 1873% 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 $23.00 in Ongjin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $229 per month, with Ongjin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇰🇵 Ongjin

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

19:26 7:26 PM

2 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

152,878

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Melbourne Ongjin 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Ongjin

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 Ongjin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Ongjin differ by about 302% in total monthly costs ($2,852 vs $710 including rent). Ongjin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1873% 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: $1,713 in Melbourne versus $89.2 in Ongjin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,373 in Melbourne versus $109 in Ongjin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Ongjin versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongjin but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Ongjin 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 Ongjin 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 Ongjin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 302% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.