Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhenjiang and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhenjiang: $699 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.

34

Cost of Living Index in Zhenjiang
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Zhenjiang Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Zhenjiang

🇨🇳 China

$699

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $699 in Zhenjiang versus $2,821 in Melbourne.

Zhenjiang $699
Melbourne $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,189 in Zhenjiang versus $4,235 in Melbourne.

Zhenjiang $1,189
Melbourne $4,235

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,678 in Zhenjiang versus $5,650 in Melbourne.

Zhenjiang $1,678
Melbourne $5,650

Living in Zhenjiang costs roughly 75% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ¥20.41

$17.43 A$25.18

-82.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.22 ¥202

$84.6 A$122

-64.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.41 ¥29.43

$12.46 A$18.00

-64.61%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ¥17.66

$4.11 A$5.94

-35.77%

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

$0.61 ¥4.09

$3.06 A$4.42

-80.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$2.52 A$3.64

-86.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$9.80 A$14.16

-87.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ¥14.56

$8.57 A$12.38

-74.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$1.48 A$2.15

19.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$2.94 A$4.25

-50.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$2.66 A$3.84

-65.04%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.10

$5.54 A$8.01

-70.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.39 ¥96.1

$10.51 A$15.19

36.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 ¥20.53

$9.65 A$13.94

-68.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.91 ¥86.2

$15.22 A$22.00

-15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.08

$3.99 A$5.77

-54.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.50

$3.02 A$4.36

-43.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 ¥11.71

$3.10 A$4.48

-43.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.28

$4.82 A$6.96

-64.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.41

$3.03 A$4.38

-73.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$2.44 A$3.53

-59.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ¥3.14

$2.46 A$3.56

-80.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$1.63 A$2.35

-64.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 ¥24.74

$44.07 A$63.7

-91.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.68 ¥71.3

$12.70 A$18.36

-15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$5.54 A$8.00

-84.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 ¥10.86

$5.23 A$7.55

-69.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 ¥0.98

$3.74 A$5.40

-95.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.49 ¥50.0

$138 A$199

-94.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.83

$4.51 A$6.52

-67.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$1.36 A$1.96

-65.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 ¥29.27

$30.45 A$44.00

-85.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ¥8.11

$1.47 A$2.13

-17.69%

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

$17.8K ¥118.9K

$29.0K A$41.9K

-38.64%

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

$17.9K ¥119.6K

$26.5K A$38.3K

-32.38%

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

$57.4 ¥383

$234 A$338

-75.45%

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

$8.18 ¥54.7

$27.93 A$40.35

-70.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.65 ¥51.1

$55.7 A$80.6

-86.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.06 ¥301

$49.40 A$71.4

-8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.32 ¥203

$21.48 A$31.04

41.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$15.09 A$21.81

-40.03%

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

$440 ¥2,939

$2,371 A$3,426

-81.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.5K

$30.2K A$43.6K

-7.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.54 ¥298

$80.0 A$116

-44.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 ¥202

$50.7 A$73.3

-40.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 ¥456

$121 A$174

-43.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ¥559

$130 A$188

-35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$228 ¥1,526

$1,759 A$2,542

-87.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 ¥990

$1,390 A$2,008

-89.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ¥3,440

$3,494 A$5,048

-85.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 ¥2,461

$2,493 A$3,603

-85.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,037 ¥13.6K

$6,926 A$10.0K

-70.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$914 ¥6,104

$6,445 A$9,313

-85.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$970 ¥6,483

$4,383 A$6,333

-77.86%

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 Zhenjiang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhenjiang

$217 31%

Melbourne

$384 13.6% 77% $167

Accommodation & Living

Zhenjiang

$148 21.2%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 838% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Zhenjiang

$102 14.6%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 68.4% $70

Eating Out

Zhenjiang

$84 12%

Melbourne

$315 11.2% 276% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhenjiang

$73 10.5%

Melbourne

$317 11.3% 334% $244

Sport & Entertainment

Zhenjiang

$63 9%

Melbourne

$80 2.8% 26% $16

Getting Around

Zhenjiang

$12 1.7%

Melbourne

$164 5.8% 1279% $152

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $228 in Zhenjiang and $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 352% 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: $30.00 in Zhenjiang vs $85.0 in Melbourne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $384 per month, with Zhenjiang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhenjiang

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

21:15 9:15 PM

3 h ahead of Zhenjiang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,210,418

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.692 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.692 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Zhenjiang Melbourne 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Zhenjiang
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

Zhenjiang vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zhenjiang and Melbourne differ by about 303% in total monthly costs ($699 vs $2,821 including rent). Zhenjiang is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 352% 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: $228 in Zhenjiang versus $1,759 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 in Zhenjiang 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 77% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $699 in Zhenjiang versus $2,821 in Melbourne, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zhenjiang but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Zhenjiang 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, Zhenjiang 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 Zhenjiang 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.