Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yangzhou and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Yangzhou: $680 a month against $2,821 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $25,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Yangzhou
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Yangzhou Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Yangzhou

🇨🇳 China

$680

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $680 in Yangzhou versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Yangzhou $680
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,096 in Yangzhou versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Yangzhou $1,096
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,513 in Yangzhou versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Yangzhou $1,513
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Yangzhou costs roughly 76% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yangzhou is 50% below, Melbourne is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ¥15.14

$17.43 A$24.97

-87.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.38 ¥76.1

$84.6 A$121

-86.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.96 ¥19.80

$12.46 A$17.85

-76.24%

Cappuccino

$2.46 ¥16.43

$4.11 A$5.88

-40.15%

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

$0.44 ¥2.92

$3.06 A$4.38

-85.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$2.52 A$3.61

-91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 ¥6.95

$9.80 A$14.04

-89.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 ¥13.86

$8.57 A$12.28

-75.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.85

$1.48 A$2.13

-20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 ¥13.18

$2.94 A$4.22

-32.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.36

$2.66 A$3.80

-69.92%

Eggs

$1.02 ¥6.82

$5.54 A$7.94

-81.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.79 ¥92.2

$10.51 A$15.06

31.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.67 ¥17.88

$9.65 A$13.82

-72.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.96 ¥46.54

$15.22 A$21.81

-54.27%

Apples (1kg)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$3.99 A$5.72

-80.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.67

$3.02 A$4.32

-42.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.09

$3.10 A$4.44

-85.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.02

$4.82 A$6.90

-78.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.73

$3.03 A$4.34

-76.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$2.44 A$3.50

-74.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 ¥5.75

$2.46 A$3.53

-65.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ¥4.35

$1.63 A$2.33

-60.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 ¥19.93

$44.07 A$63.1

-93.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 ¥79.3

$12.70 A$18.20

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.86

$5.54 A$7.93

-84.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ¥13.31

$5.23 A$7.49

-61.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 ¥2.18

$3.74 A$5.36

-91.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.39 ¥103

$138 A$197

-88.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$4.51 A$6.47

-72.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.72

$1.36 A$1.95

-80.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 ¥24.43

$30.45 A$43.62

-88.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 ¥7.89

$1.47 A$2.11

-19.73%

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

$19.7K ¥131.5K

$29.0K A$41.5K

-32.21%

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

$16.4K ¥109.6K

$26.5K A$37.9K

-38.12%

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

$48.33 ¥323

$234 A$335

-79.32%

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

$8.14 ¥54.5

$27.93 A$40.01

-70.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.04 ¥80.5

$55.7 A$79.9

-78.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.22 ¥289

$49.40 A$70.8

-12.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.89 ¥113

$21.48 A$30.77

-21.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 ¥41.37

$15.09 A$21.62

-58.98%

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

$237 ¥1,586

$2,371 A$3,397

-90.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,395 ¥49.5K

$30.2K A$43.3K

-75.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 ¥596

$80.0 A$115

11.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.49 ¥217

$50.7 A$72.6

-35.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.0 ¥421

$121 A$173

-47.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 ¥597

$130 A$187

-31.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ¥1,682

$1,759 A$2,520

-85.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 ¥1,084

$1,390 A$1,991

-88.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 ¥3,945

$3,494 A$5,005

-83.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 ¥2,641

$2,493 A$3,572

-84.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,520 ¥16.8K

$6,926 A$9,922

-63.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,824 ¥12.2K

$6,445 A$9,233

-71.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,261 ¥8,431

$4,383 A$6,279

-71.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

5.9

-47.46%

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

Last update for Yangzhou: October 11, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Yangzhou

$183 26.9%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 110% $201

Accommodation & Living

Yangzhou

$162 23.9%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 757% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Yangzhou

$123 18.1%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 39.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yangzhou

$69 10.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 363% $249

Eating Out

Yangzhou

$68 10.1%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 360% $246

Sport & Entertainment

Yangzhou

$56 8.2%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 43.1% $24

Getting Around

Yangzhou

$19 2.8%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 752% $145

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $252 in Yangzhou and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 248% 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: $11.00 in Yangzhou vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $384 per month, with Yangzhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Yangzhou

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

17:30 5:30 PM

3 h ahead of Yangzhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,559,797

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

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).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Yangzhou Melbourne 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Yangzhou
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

Yangzhou vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yangzhou and Melbourne differ by about 315% in total monthly costs ($680 vs $2,821 including rent). Yangzhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 248% 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: $252 in Yangzhou versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $237 in Yangzhou 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 110% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $680 in Yangzhou versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yangzhou but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Yangzhou 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, Yangzhou 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 Yangzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 315% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.