Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Quanzhou

For one person, living is cheaper in Quanzhou: $815 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Quanzhou
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Quanzhou Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Quanzhou

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Quanzhou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $815 in Quanzhou.

Melbourne $2,821
Quanzhou $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,204 in Quanzhou.

Melbourne $4,235
Quanzhou $1,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,593 in Quanzhou.

Melbourne $5,650
Quanzhou $1,593

Living in Melbourne is roughly 246% more expensive than in Quanzhou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Quanzhou is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$24.97

$2.20 ¥14.70

692.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$121

$30.02 ¥201

181.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.85

$6.48 ¥43.35

92.28%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.88

$3.26 ¥21.82

26.07%

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

$3.06 A$4.38

$0.96 ¥6.40

218.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.61

$0.27 ¥1.80

833.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.04

$2.95 ¥19.70

232.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.28

$1.75 ¥11.72

389.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.45 ¥9.72

2.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.22

$0.86 ¥5.74

241.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.80

$0.93 ¥6.23

186.02%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.94

$1.53 ¥10.27

262.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.06

$7.68 ¥51.4

36.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.82

$2.30 ¥15.36

319.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.81

$5.12 ¥34.25

197.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.72

$1.46 ¥9.74

173.29%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.32

$0.99 ¥6.62

205.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.44

$0.72 ¥4.80

330.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.90

$1.08 ¥7.21

346.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.34

$0.46 ¥3.11

558.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$1.05 ¥7.00

132.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.53

$0.16 ¥1.09

1437.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.48 ¥3.18

239.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$3.15 ¥21.08

1299.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.20

$7.67 ¥51.3

65.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.93

$0.88 ¥5.92

529.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.49

$1.38 ¥9.20

278.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.36

$0.31 ¥2.07

1106.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$197

$23.44 ¥157

486.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.47

$1.22 ¥8.18

269.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.95

$0.35 ¥2.34

288.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.62

$9.01 ¥60.3

237.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.25 ¥8.36

17.60%

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

$29.0K A$41.5K

$17.6K ¥117.6K

64.86%

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

$26.5K A$37.9K

$15.7K ¥104.9K

68.71%

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

$234 A$335

$52.8 ¥353

342.91%

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

$27.93 A$40.01

$7.95 ¥53.2

251.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$79.9

$12.15 ¥81.3

358.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$70.8

$54.4 ¥364

-9.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.77

$18.63 ¥125

15.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.62

$5.83 ¥38.96

158.83%

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

$2,371 A$3,397

$514 ¥3,438

361.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.3K

$11.8K ¥79.0K

155.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$20.64 ¥138

287.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$72.6

$34.07 ¥228

48.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$92.7 ¥620

30.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$96.5 ¥646

35.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,520

$277 ¥1,851

535.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$1,991

$303 ¥2,027

358.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,005

$503 ¥3,362

595.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,572

$410 ¥2,743

507.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,922

$3,004 ¥20.1K

130.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,233

$2,008 ¥13.4K

220.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,279

$829 ¥5,545

428.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.15

87.30%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Quanzhou: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Quanzhou

$303 37.2% 78.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Quanzhou

$137 16.8% 64.4% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Quanzhou

$73 8.9% 77% $244

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Quanzhou

$99 12.2% 68.4% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Quanzhou

$110 13.5% 36.1% $62

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Quanzhou

$28 3.4% 83.1% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Quanzhou

$66 8.1% 17% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $277 in Quanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 429% 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 $30.00 in Quanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $137 per month, with Quanzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Quanzhou

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

8,128,530

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Quanzhou 7,490 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 Quanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Quanzhou differ by about 246% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $815 including rent). Quanzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 429% 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 $277 in Quanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $514 in Quanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 181% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $815 in Quanzhou versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quanzhou but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou 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 Quanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 246% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.