Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bathurst and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,495 in Bathurst, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Bathurst
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Bathurst Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Bathurst

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,495

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bathurst and in Shanghai

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

A single person spends $2,495 per month in Bathurst vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Bathurst $2,495
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $3,607 per month in Bathurst vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Bathurst $3,607
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $4,719 per month in Bathurst vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Bathurst $4,719
Shanghai $2,755

Bathurst costs about 101% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bathurst sits 85% above the global median, while Shanghai is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 A$21.69

$4.56 ¥30.47

230.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 A$120

$30.21 ¥202

175.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$15.17

$5.25 ¥35.13

100.76%

Cappuccino

$3.76 A$5.41

$3.28 ¥21.94

14.63%

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

$2.93 A$4.22

$0.57 ¥3.84

414.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.18

$0.36 ¥2.39

513.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 A$7.11

$1.23 ¥8.23

301.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 A$10.90

$2.27 ¥15.18

233.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 A$2.74

$1.84 ¥12.30

3.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 A$3.94

$1.96 ¥13.08

39.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.27

$1.03 ¥6.87

120.39%

Eggs

$4.91 A$7.06

$1.67 ¥11.16

194.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 A$13.31

$16.96 ¥113

-45.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 A$13.74

$3.19 ¥21.33

199.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 A$21.16

$12.90 ¥86.3

13.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 A$5.67

$2.24 ¥15.00

75.89%

Banana (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.66 ¥11.13

83.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$2.02 ¥13.54

64.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 A$6.49

$1.66 ¥11.08

171.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.86

$0.77 ¥5.17

248.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$0.93 ¥6.21

149.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 A$3.48

$0.63 ¥4.19

284.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 A$2.32

$0.60 ¥3.99

168.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.35 A$59.5

$3.80 ¥25.44

988.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 A$19.85

$10.87 ¥72.7

26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.83 A$6.95

$0.82 ¥5.51

489.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.44

$1.61 ¥10.76

221.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 A$4.20

$0.61 ¥4.11

378.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.4 A$119

$29.40 ¥197

180.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 A$4.94

$2.11 ¥14.11

62.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.25

$0.43 ¥2.87

262.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.22 A$56.4

$9.06 ¥60.6

332.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.86

$1.33 ¥8.89

-3.01%

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

$27.0K A$38.9K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

42.03%

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

$29.8K A$42.9K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

59.36%

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

$199 A$286

$57.8 ¥387

244.39%

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

$40.97 A$59.0

$8.09 ¥54.1

406.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$88.1

$10.48 ¥70.0

484.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 A$78.8

$65.7 ¥439

-16.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.57 A$25.28

$17.82 ¥119

-1.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.86 A$21.38

$8.95 ¥59.9

66.03%

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

$2,122 A$3,054

$1,414 ¥9,451

50.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$29.2K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-27.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.2 A$113

$54.0 ¥361

44.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 A$78.7

$37.09 ¥248

47.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$74.3 ¥496

50.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$176

$106 ¥706

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 A$2,011

$1,055 ¥7,056

32.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 A$1,739

$585 ¥3,910

106.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 A$3,141

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-12.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 A$2,633

$1,232 ¥8,240

48.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,771 A$8,305

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-58.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,885 A$7,030

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-21.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.36

73.81%

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

Last update for Bathurst: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bathurst

$1.2K 48.4%

Shanghai

$585 47% 51.6% $624

Groceries & Markets

Bathurst

$372 14.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 36.9% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bathurst

$301 12.1%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 74.7% $225

Eating Out

Bathurst

$258 10.3%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 58.9% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Bathurst

$165 6.6%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 26.2% $43

Getting Around

Bathurst

$105 4.2%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 65.7% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bathurst

$85 3.4%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 1.1% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,398 in Bathurst versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Bathurst versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $235 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Bathurst

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

00:01 12:01 AM

3 h behind Bathurst

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,230

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bathurst Shanghai 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bathurst
Shanghai

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

Bathurst vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bathurst is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,742 per month in Bathurst and $1,865 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 180% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,122 per month in Bathurst and $1,414 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Bathurst at $2,495. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bathurst it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bathurst makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.