Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coffs Harbour and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,422 in Coffs Harbour, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Coffs Harbour
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Coffs Harbour Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Coffs Harbour

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,422

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Coffs Harbour 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 Coffs Harbour and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Coffs Harbour versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Coffs Harbour $2,422
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,551 in Coffs Harbour versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Coffs Harbour $3,551
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,680 in Coffs Harbour versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Coffs Harbour $4,680
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Coffs Harbour is roughly 95% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Coffs Harbour is 79% above, Shanghai is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.90 A$20.00

$4.56 ¥30.47

204.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$151

$30.21 ¥202

246.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 A$13.18

$5.25 ¥35.13

74.48%

Cappuccino

$3.70 A$5.32

$3.28 ¥21.94

12.80%

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

$2.80 A$4.03

$0.57 ¥3.84

391.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 A$2.80

$0.36 ¥2.39

438.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 A$7.29

$1.23 ¥8.23

312.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.53 A$7.96

$2.27 ¥15.18

143.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.18

$1.84 ¥12.30

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 A$3.92

$1.96 ¥13.08

39.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.35

$1.03 ¥6.87

126.21%

Eggs

$3.40 A$4.89

$1.67 ¥11.16

103.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.00

$16.96 ¥113

-46.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.15 A$10.28

$3.19 ¥21.33

124.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 A$20.38

$12.90 ¥86.3

9.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 A$5.49

$2.24 ¥15.00

70.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.37

$1.66 ¥11.13

82.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 A$5.00

$2.02 ¥13.54

71.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 A$6.12

$1.66 ¥11.08

156.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 A$1.95

$0.77 ¥5.17

75.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.59

$0.93 ¥6.21

168.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.47

$0.63 ¥4.19

282.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 A$3.35

$0.60 ¥3.99

288.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.57 A$45.43

$3.80 ¥25.44

730.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 A$20.16

$10.87 ¥72.7

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.90 A$8.49

$0.82 ¥5.51

619.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.76 A$9.72

$1.61 ¥10.76

319.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.84 A$6.97

$0.61 ¥4.11

693.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 A$3.03

$2.11 ¥14.11

-0.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.24

$0.43 ¥2.87

260.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.59 A$51.2

$9.06 ¥60.6

292.83%

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)

$26.5K A$38.2K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

39.46%

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

$32.7K A$47.0K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

74.76%

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

$176 A$253

$57.8 ¥387

203.58%

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

$10.55 A$15.18

$8.09 ¥54.1

30.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 A$77.0

$10.48 ¥70.0

410.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 A$155

$65.7 ¥439

63.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 A$19.92

$8.95 ¥59.9

54.64%

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

$2,176 A$3,131

$1,414 ¥9,451

53.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K A$17.0K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-57.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 A$108

$54.0 ¥361

38.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 A$77.7

$37.09 ¥248

45.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$150

$74.3 ¥496

40.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$106 ¥706

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 A$1,997

$1,055 ¥7,056

31.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 A$1,812

$585 ¥3,910

115.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 A$3,033

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-15.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$1,232 ¥8,240

57.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,557 A$5,119

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-74.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,546 A$5,102

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-43.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 A$4,713

$1,711 ¥11.4K

91.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

3.36

69.35%

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

Last update for Coffs Harbour: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Coffs Harbour

$1.3K 52%

Shanghai

$585 47% 53.6% $675

Groceries & Markets

Coffs Harbour

$361 14.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 34.9% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coffs Harbour

$240 9.9%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 68.1% $163

Eating Out

Coffs Harbour

$238 9.8%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 55.5% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Coffs Harbour

$159 6.6%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 23.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Coffs Harbour

$135 5.6%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 38.2% $52

Getting Around

Coffs Harbour

$29 * 1.2%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 23.5% $6.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Coffs Harbour and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coffs Harbour pays 91% 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: $105 in Coffs Harbour vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $235 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Coffs Harbour

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

3 h behind Coffs Harbour

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,759

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 17, 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 17, 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 →

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Between locations

Coffs Harbour Shanghai 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Coffs Harbour
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

Coffs Harbour vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Coffs Harbour, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,387 in Coffs Harbour versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Coffs Harbour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,422 per month in Coffs Harbour versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,422 in Coffs Harbour, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Coffs Harbour. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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, Coffs Harbour and Shanghai 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Coffs Harbour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.