Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shaoxing and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Shaoxing: $750 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Shaoxing
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Shaoxing Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Shaoxing

🇨🇳 China

$750

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shaoxing and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shaoxing and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $750 in Shaoxing versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Shaoxing $750
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,202 in Shaoxing versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Shaoxing $1,202
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,655 in Shaoxing versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Shaoxing $1,655
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Shaoxing costs roughly 73% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shaoxing is 44% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 ¥24.31

$17.43 A$25.08

-79.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.73 ¥152

$84.6 A$122

-73.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 ¥35.97

$12.46 A$17.92

-56.82%

Cappuccino

$2.56 ¥17.11

$4.11 A$5.91

-37.71%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$3.06 A$4.40

-81.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$2.52 A$3.62

-85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 ¥7.35

$9.80 A$14.10

-88.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ¥14.62

$8.57 A$12.33

-74.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.84

$1.48 A$2.14

19.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 ¥13.55

$2.94 A$4.23

-30.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.26

$2.66 A$3.82

-70.30%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$5.54 A$7.97

-69.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.66 ¥78.0

$10.51 A$15.13

10.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$9.65 A$13.89

-66.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.25 ¥68.6

$15.22 A$21.91

-32.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.52

$3.99 A$5.75

-56.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ¥11.06

$3.02 A$4.34

-45.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 ¥10.97

$3.10 A$4.46

-47.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.02

$4.82 A$6.93

-78.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.45

$3.03 A$4.36

-72.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$2.44 A$3.52

-63.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.46 A$3.54

-75.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.63 A$2.34

-63.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥22.67

$44.07 A$63.4

-92.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.42 ¥69.7

$12.70 A$18.28

-17.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥4.98

$5.54 A$7.97

-86.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.67

$5.23 A$7.52

-69.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$3.74 A$5.38

-94.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.93 ¥133

$138 A$198

-85.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$4.51 A$6.50

-57.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.36 A$1.96

-68.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.87 ¥59.3

$30.45 A$43.81

-70.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ¥9.01

$1.47 A$2.12

-8.16%

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

$19.5K ¥130.1K

$29.0K A$41.7K

-32.89%

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

$18.9K ¥126.3K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-28.64%

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

$46.75 ¥313

$234 A$336

-79.99%

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

$7.90 ¥52.8

$27.93 A$40.19

-71.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.08 ¥60.7

$55.7 A$80.2

-83.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.75 ¥105

$49.40 A$71.1

-68.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.91 ¥46.21

$21.48 A$30.91

-67.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 ¥45.92

$15.09 A$21.72

-54.47%

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

$834 ¥5,574

$2,371 A$3,412

-64.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K ¥165.6K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-17.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.20 ¥262

$80.0 A$115

-50.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.88 ¥206

$50.7 A$73.0

-39.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ¥511

$121 A$174

-36.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ¥721

$130 A$188

-17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ¥2,861

$1,759 A$2,531

-75.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,512

$1,390 A$2,000

-83.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ¥4,069

$3,494 A$5,027

-82.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 ¥3,047

$2,493 A$3,588

-81.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,275 ¥42.0K

$6,926 A$9,967

-9.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,564 ¥23.8K

$6,445 A$9,274

-44.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$898 ¥6,005

$4,383 A$6,307

-79.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.9

-43.05%

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

Last update for Shaoxing: October 13, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shaoxing

$226 30.2%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 515% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Shaoxing

$202 26.9%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 90.4% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Shaoxing

$114 15.3%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 50% $57

Eating Out

Shaoxing

$90 11.9%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 251% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shaoxing

$64 8.5%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 398% $254

Sport & Entertainment

Shaoxing

$29 3.9%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 170% $50

Getting Around

Shaoxing

$25 3.3%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 560% $139

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $428 in Shaoxing and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 388% 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: $23.00 in Shaoxing vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $384 per month, with Shaoxing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shaoxing

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

13:37 1:37 PM

16:37 4:37 PM

3 h ahead of Shaoxing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,912,239

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Shaoxing Melbourne 7,960 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shaoxing
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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

Shaoxing vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shaoxing and Melbourne differ by about 276% in total monthly costs ($750 vs $2,821 including rent). Shaoxing is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 388% lower in Melbourne. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $428 in Shaoxing versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $834 in Shaoxing versus $2,371 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Shaoxing versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shaoxing but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Shaoxing 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, Shaoxing and Melbourne 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 Shaoxing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 276% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.