Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taichung and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Taichung: $1,143 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Taichung
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Taichung Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Taichung

🇹🇼 Taiwan

$1,143

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Taichung versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Taichung $1,143
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,887 in Taichung versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Taichung $1,887
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,631 in Taichung versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Taichung $2,631
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Taichung costs roughly 60% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Taichung is 15% below, Melbourne is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.68 NT$149

$17.75 A$25.40

-73.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.12 NT$1,025

$84.8 A$121

-62.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 NT$155

$12.16 A$17.40

-60.12%

Cappuccino

$2.75 NT$87.6

$3.93 A$5.62

-30.03%

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

$1.03 NT$32.80

$3.14 A$4.49

-67.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 NT$23.56

$2.43 A$3.47

-69.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 NT$49.69

$9.90 A$14.17

-84.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NT$88.7

$8.29 A$11.86

-66.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.27 NT$104

$1.55 A$2.21

110.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 NT$56.2

$3.01 A$4.31

-41.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 NT$84.7

$2.88 A$4.12

-7.64%

Eggs

$2.62 NT$83.7

$5.44 A$7.79

-51.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.33 NT$936

$10.59 A$15.16

176.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.13 NT$259

$9.61 A$13.76

-15.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 NT$547

$14.99 A$21.46

14.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 NT$135

$4.15 A$5.94

1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NT$61.3

$3.05 A$4.37

-37.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NT$95.3

$3.30 A$4.72

-9.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 NT$68.6

$4.76 A$6.81

-54.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 NT$38.28

$3.04 A$4.34

-60.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 NT$62.9

$2.55 A$3.65

-22.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 NT$76.7

$2.48 A$3.55

-3.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 NT$28.80

$1.63 A$2.33

-44.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 NT$120

$44.07 A$63.1

-91.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 NT$495

$12.43 A$17.79

24.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 NT$52.3

$5.33 A$7.63

-69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 NT$78.8

$5.16 A$7.38

-52.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 NT$23.05

$3.84 A$5.50

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.97 NT$1,020

$142 A$203

-77.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 NT$86.1

$4.40 A$6.29

-38.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 NT$29.49

$1.40 A$2.01

-34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.61 NT$307

$29.83 A$42.69

-67.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 NT$32.76

$1.46 A$2.09

-29.45%

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

$33.0K NT$1.1M

$28.1K A$40.3K

17.36%

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

$22.7K NT$725.9K

$25.9K A$37.1K

-12.32%

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

$127 NT$4,037

$233 A$333

-45.62%

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

$14.84 NT$474

$27.28 A$39.04

-45.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 NT$670

$57.0 A$81.6

-63.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 NT$1,052

$52.7 A$75.4

-37.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 NT$371

$22.62 A$32.37

-48.59%

Cinema Ticket

$10.02 NT$320

$17.10 A$24.48

-41.40%

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

$347 NT$11.1K

$2,373 A$3,397

-85.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K NT$537.2K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-44.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 NT$2,314

$78.2 A$112

-7.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.93 NT$1,147

$50.5 A$72.2

-28.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 NT$2,738

$121 A$172

-28.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NT$3,727

$133 A$191

-12.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 NT$12.6K

$1,713 A$2,451

-76.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 NT$8,722

$1,402 A$2,006

-80.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 NT$38.8K

$3,339 A$4,778

-63.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 NT$24.7K

$2,529 A$3,619

-69.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,642 NT$275.8K

$7,018 A$10.0K

23.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,368 NT$171.3K

$6,767 A$9,685

-20.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 NT$45.7K

$4,228 A$6,051

-66.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.27

5.9

-61.53%

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

Last update for Taichung: October 4, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taichung

$379 32.8%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 1.7% $6.3

Accommodation & Living

Taichung

$273 23.7%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 413% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taichung

$162 14.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 95.2% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Taichung

$140 12.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 22.9% $32

Eating Out

Taichung

$105 9.1%

Melbourne

$314 11% 198% $209

Sport & Entertainment

Taichung

$53 4.6%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 63.9% $34

Getting Around

Taichung

$42 3.7%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 299% $126

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Taichung and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 195% 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: $32.00 in Taichung vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $385 per month, with Taichung cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇼 Taichung

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

16:00 4:00 PM

3 h ahead of Taichung

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,767,239

5,031,195

💱 Currency

New Taiwan Dollar TWD NT$

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 TWD = 3.13 USD

100 TWD = 2.79 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to TWD – New Taiwan Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇼 New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

New Taiwan Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 31.91 TWD (100 TWD = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 35.79 TWD (100 TWD = 2.79 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 TWD in detail →

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Between locations

Taichung Melbourne 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Taichung
Melbourne

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

Taichung vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taichung and Melbourne differ by about 149% in total monthly costs ($1,143 vs $2,852 including rent). Taichung is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 195% 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: $396 in Taichung versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Taichung 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 2% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,143 in Taichung versus $2,852 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taichung but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Taichung 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, Taichung 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 Taichung gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.