Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Zhongshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhongshan: $700 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Zhongshan
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Zhongshan Living Index

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Zhongshan

🇨🇳 China

$700

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Melbourne and in Zhongshan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Melbourne versus $700 in Zhongshan.

Melbourne $2,821
Zhongshan $700

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,235 in Melbourne versus $1,110 in Zhongshan.

Melbourne $4,235
Zhongshan $1,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,650 in Melbourne versus $1,521 in Zhongshan.

Melbourne $5,650
Zhongshan $1,521

Living in Melbourne is roughly 303% more expensive than in Zhongshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Melbourne is 109% above, Zhongshan is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.43 A$24.97

$2.91 ¥19.47

498.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 A$121

$24.18 ¥162

249.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.85

$4.47 ¥29.86

178.75%

Cappuccino

$4.11 A$5.88

$2.81 ¥18.80

46.26%

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

$3.06 A$4.38

$0.47 ¥3.15

551.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 A$3.61

$0.29 ¥1.93

768.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.80 A$14.04

$0.78 ¥5.19

1156.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.57 A$12.28

$1.81 ¥12.14

373.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.55 ¥10.38

-4.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.22

$1.59 ¥10.61

84.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.80

$0.64 ¥4.31

315.63%

Eggs

$5.54 A$7.94

$1.20 ¥8.00

361.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 A$15.06

$20.77 ¥139

-49.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.82

$2.79 ¥18.63

245.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.22 A$21.81

$13.52 ¥90.4

12.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.72

$2.04 ¥13.65

95.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.32

$1.03 ¥6.88

193.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.44

$0.69 ¥4.60

349.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 A$6.90

$1.42 ¥9.50

239.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.34

$0.53 ¥3.57

471.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$0.78 ¥5.19

212.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.53

$0.43 ¥2.88

472.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 A$2.33

$0.54 ¥3.60

201.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.07 A$63.1

$2.96 ¥19.79

1388.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 A$18.20

$12.02 ¥80.4

5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 A$7.93

$0.69 ¥4.63

702.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.49

$1.80 ¥12.01

190.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.74 A$5.36

$0.29 ¥1.92

1189.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$197

$15.18 ¥102

805.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 A$6.47

$1.48 ¥9.88

204.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.95

$0.42 ¥2.78

223.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 A$43.62

$7.11 ¥47.58

328.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.29 ¥8.65

13.95%

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

$29.0K A$41.5K

$19.1K ¥128.0K

51.48%

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

$26.5K A$37.9K

$18.0K ¥120.7K

46.69%

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

$234 A$335

$41.21 ¥276

467.05%

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

$27.93 A$40.01

$9.85 ¥65.9

183.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 A$79.9

$12.75 ¥85.3

337.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.40 A$70.8

$67.8 ¥454

-27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.77

$7.33 ¥49.00

193.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 A$21.62

$6.04 ¥40.42

149.83%

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

$2,371 A$3,397

$324 ¥2,164

632.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.3K

$13.6K ¥90.9K

122.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$49.30 ¥330

62.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 A$72.6

$40.39 ¥270

25.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$173

$59.9 ¥400

101.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 A$187

$76.0 ¥508

71.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 A$2,520

$208 ¥1,391

745.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 A$1,991

$129 ¥864

975.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,494 A$5,005

$371 ¥2,483

840.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,493 A$3,572

$215 ¥1,437

1060.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,926 A$9,922

$2,447 ¥16.4K

183.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,445 A$9,233

$1,515 ¥10.1K

325.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 A$6,279

$956 ¥6,396

358.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.35

76.12%

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

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Last update for Zhongshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3%

Zhongshan

$129 18.5% 90.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$384 13.6%

Zhongshan

$224 32.1% 41.6% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$317 11.3%

Zhongshan

$64 9.1% 79.9% $254

Eating Out

Melbourne

$315 11.2%

Zhongshan

$81 11.6% 74.3% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$172 6.1%

Zhongshan

$101 14.5% 40.9% $70

Getting Around

Melbourne

$164 5.8%

Zhongshan

$20 2.8% 87.9% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$80 2.8%

Zhongshan

$80 11.4% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,759 in Melbourne and $208 in Zhongshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 358% 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 $24.00 in Zhongshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $224 per month, with Zhongshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇨🇳 Zhongshan

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

17:32 5:32 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

3,209,600

💱 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 →

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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 Zhongshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Zhongshan differ by about 303% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $700 including rent). Zhongshan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 358% 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 $208 in Zhongshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,371 in Melbourne versus $324 in Zhongshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $700 in Zhongshan versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zhongshan but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan 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 Zhongshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 303% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.