Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Taitung

For one person, living is cheaper in Taitung: $1,035 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Taitung
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Taitung Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Taitung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Taitung

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $1,035 in Taitung.

Melbourne $2,821
Taitung $1,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,802 in Taitung.

Melbourne $4,235
Taitung $1,802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $2,569 in Taitung.

Melbourne $5,650
Taitung $2,569

Living in Melbourne is roughly 173% more expensive than in Taitung, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Taitung is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$25.08

$3.82 NT$124

356.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$122

$48.18 NT$1,562

75.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.92

$5.56 NT$180

124.10%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.91

$3.45 NT$112

19.13%

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

$3.06 A$4.40

$0.95 NT$30.66

222.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.62

$0.68 NT$22.00

270.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.10

$2.88 NT$93.3

240.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.33

$3.76 NT$122

127.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.14

$3.09 NT$100

-52.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$1.87 NT$60.7

57.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.82

$3.12 NT$101

-14.74%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.97

$2.33 NT$75.4

137.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.13

$19.49 NT$632

-46.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.89

$3.89 NT$126

148.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.91

$21.88 NT$709

-30.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.75

$1.92 NT$62.1

107.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$2.92 NT$94.6

3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.46

$1.93 NT$62.5

60.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.93

$4.50 NT$146

7.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.73 NT$88.4

10.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.52

$2.36 NT$76.5

3.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.54

$1.78 NT$57.7

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.11 NT$35.94

46.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.4

$4.00 NT$130

1001.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.28

$14.07 NT$456

-9.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.97

$1.64 NT$53.3

237.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$2.28 NT$73.8

129.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.38

$0.65 NT$20.95

475.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$198

$36.43 NT$1,181

277.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.50

$2.72 NT$88.3

65.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$0.78 NT$25.14

74.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.81

$9.18 NT$298

231.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.12

$0.90 NT$29.33

63.33%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$33.2K NT$1.1M

-12.76%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$24.1K NT$781.5K

9.86%

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

$234 A$336

$85.6 NT$2,777

172.86%

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

$27.93 A$40.19

$17.66 NT$573

58.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$80.2

$27.09 NT$878

105.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$71.1

$36.70 NT$1,190

34.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.72

$9.25 NT$300

63.14%

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

$2,371 A$3,412

$677 NT$21.9K

250.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.5K

$17.0K NT$550.6K

77.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$28.52 NT$925

180.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$73.0

$15.68 NT$508

223.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$49.43 NT$1,603

144.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$188

$105 NT$3,410

24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,531

$412 NT$13.4K

326.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$2,000

$251 NT$8,133

454.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,027

$983 NT$31.9K

255.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,588

$747 NT$24.2K

233.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,967

$7,734 NT$250.8K

-10.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,274

$5,021 NT$162.8K

28.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,307

$637 NT$20.7K

587.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

2.4

145.83%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Taitung: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Taitung

$251 24.2% 82% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Taitung

$346 33.5% 9.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Taitung

$130 12.6% 58.9% $187

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Taitung

$117 11.3% 62.8% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Taitung

$89 8.6% 47.9% $82

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Taitung

$46 4.4% 72.2% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Taitung

$55 5.3% 30.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $412 in Taitung. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 588% 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 $48.00 in Taitung for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $346 per month, with Taitung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇹🇼 Taitung

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

02:07 2:07 AM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

106,368

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100 TWD = 3.08 USD

100 TWD = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TWD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 32.43 TWD (100 TWD = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 36.46 TWD (100 TWD = 2.74 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Melbourne Taitung 7,180 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
Taitung

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 Taitung: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Taitung differ by about 173% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,035 including rent). Taitung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 588% 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 $412 in Taitung. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $677 in Taitung. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,035 in Taitung versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Taitung but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Taitung 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 Taitung 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 Taitung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.