Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Suzhou and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Suzhou: $876 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Suzhou
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Suzhou Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Suzhou

🇨🇳 China

$876

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Suzhou 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 Suzhou and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Suzhou versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Suzhou $876
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,504 in Suzhou versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Suzhou $1,504
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,132 in Suzhou versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Suzhou $2,132
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Suzhou costs roughly 69% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Suzhou is 35% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.26 ¥28.48

$17.75 A$25.40

-76.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.42 ¥197

$84.8 A$121

-65.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.29 ¥35.36

$12.16 A$17.40

-56.50%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ¥22.58

$3.93 A$5.62

-13.99%

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

$0.73 ¥4.86

$3.14 A$4.49

-76.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$2.43 A$3.47

-83.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 ¥15.05

$9.90 A$14.17

-77.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 ¥30.71

$8.29 A$11.86

-44.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$1.55 A$2.21

21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 ¥13.63

$3.01 A$4.31

-32.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.63

$2.88 A$4.12

-55.21%

Eggs

$1.82 ¥12.19

$5.44 A$7.79

-66.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.80 ¥119

$10.59 A$15.16

68.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ¥23.36

$9.61 A$13.76

-63.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.57 ¥57.3

$14.99 A$21.46

-42.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ¥13.58

$4.15 A$5.94

-51.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.54

$3.05 A$4.37

-58.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.27

$3.30 A$4.72

-57.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$4.76 A$6.81

-68.49%

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.21

$3.04 A$4.34

-79.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$2.55 A$3.65

-54.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$2.48 A$3.55

-66.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.69

$1.63 A$2.33

-66.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 ¥30.50

$44.07 A$63.1

-89.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.01 ¥60.2

$12.43 A$17.79

-27.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ¥7.11

$5.33 A$7.63

-80.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 ¥13.77

$5.16 A$7.38

-60.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$3.84 A$5.50

-89.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.93 ¥294

$142 A$203

-68.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 ¥11.59

$4.40 A$6.29

-60.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$1.40 A$2.01

-74.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 ¥68.2

$29.83 A$42.69

-65.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.58

$1.46 A$2.09

-12.33%

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

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$28.1K A$40.3K

-30.19%

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

$17.7K ¥118.6K

$25.9K A$37.1K

-31.60%

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

$99.4 ¥664

$233 A$333

-57.27%

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

$12.81 ¥85.6

$27.28 A$39.04

-53.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.12 ¥74.4

$57.0 A$81.6

-80.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.16 ¥222

$52.7 A$75.4

-37.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 ¥123

$22.62 A$32.37

-18.35%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.09

$17.10 A$24.48

-65.79%

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

$1,213 ¥8,105

$2,373 A$3,397

-48.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ¥143.0K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-29.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 ¥350

$78.2 A$112

-33.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.14 ¥275

$50.5 A$72.2

-18.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 ¥557

$121 A$172

-30.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 ¥578

$133 A$191

-35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$457 ¥3,057

$1,713 A$2,451

-73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 ¥1,292

$1,402 A$2,006

-86.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 ¥6,902

$3,339 A$4,778

-69.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$2,529 A$3,619

-76.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,329 ¥35.6K

$7,018 A$10.0K

-24.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,773 ¥18.5K

$6,767 A$9,685

-59.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,381 ¥9,231

$4,228 A$6,051

-67.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

5.9

-40.17%

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

Last update for Suzhou: October 3, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Suzhou

$221 25.5%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 74.4% $164

Accommodation & Living

Suzhou

$193 22.3%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 625% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Suzhou

$123 14.3%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 157% $194

Clothing & Footwear

Suzhou

$119 13.7%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 45.2% $54

Eating Out

Suzhou

$115 13.3%

Melbourne

$314 11% 172% $199

Getting Around

Suzhou

$49 5.7%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 243% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Suzhou

$45 5.2%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 93.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $457 in Suzhou and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 206% 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: $29.00 in Suzhou vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $385 per month, with Suzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Suzhou

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

11:57 11:57 AM

14:57 2:57 PM

3 h ahead of Suzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,748,262

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Suzhou Melbourne 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Suzhou
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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

Suzhou vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Suzhou and Melbourne differ by about 226% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $2,852 including rent). Suzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 206% 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: $457 in Suzhou versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,213 in Suzhou versus $2,373 in Melbourne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $876 in Suzhou versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Suzhou but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Suzhou 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, Suzhou 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 Suzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.