Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Devonport and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $2,526 in Devonport, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Devonport
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Devonport Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Devonport

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,526

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,526 in Devonport versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Devonport $2,526
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,613 in Devonport versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Devonport $3,613
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,700 in Devonport versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Devonport $4,700
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Devonport is roughly 102% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Devonport is 88% above, Shanghai is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 A$25.50

$4.55 ¥30.40

291.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.7 A$123

$29.52 ¥197

190.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 A$11.99

$5.10 ¥34.08

64.31%

Cappuccino

$3.94 A$5.64

$3.42 ¥22.88

15.20%

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

$2.09 A$3.00

$0.61 ¥4.11

242.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 A$2.58

$0.36 ¥2.40

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.26

$1.21 ¥8.07

492.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.22 A$13.19

$2.29 ¥15.31

302.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 A$2.61

$1.86 ¥12.46

-2.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.01 ¥13.45

19.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 A$2.64

$1.02 ¥6.83

81.37%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.61

$1.72 ¥11.46

209.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.69

$17.19 ¥115

-44.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 A$12.15

$3.35 ¥22.39

153.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 A$18.27

$12.80 ¥85.5

-0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.59

$2.17 ¥14.51

47.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.62

$1.74 ¥11.65

85.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.19

$1.94 ¥12.96

50.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 A$6.54

$1.68 ¥11.23

172.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.77

$0.77 ¥5.17

241.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.14

$0.93 ¥6.21

135.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 A$3.74

$0.62 ¥4.16

320.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 A$2.39

$0.58 ¥3.88

187.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$35.40 A$50.7

$3.83 ¥25.60

824.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.85 A$19.82

$10.94 ¥73.1

26.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.02 A$7.18

$0.84 ¥5.59

497.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.72

$1.60 ¥10.71

237.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.09

$0.59 ¥3.92

384.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 A$126

$30.27 ¥202

191.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 A$6.54

$2.06 ¥13.77

121.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 A$3.00

$0.47 ¥3.13

346.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.47 A$37.87

$8.80 ¥58.8

200.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 A$1.76

$1.27 ¥8.51

-3.15%

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

$26.8K A$38.4K

$19.6K ¥131.0K

36.91%

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

$39.0K A$55.8K

$18.6K ¥124.2K

109.94%

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

$222 A$318

$57.2 ¥382

288.29%

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

$28.47 A$40.74

$8.06 ¥53.8

253.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.6

$10.52 ¥70.3

481.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.19 A$70.4

$64.6 ¥432

-23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 A$28.80

$17.63 ¥118

14.12%

Cinema Ticket

$16.70 A$23.91

$8.84 ¥59.1

88.91%

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

$2,010 A$2,876

$1,437 ¥9,605

39.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$30.4K

$28.1K ¥187.5K

-24.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 A$113

$54.7 ¥365

43.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 A$76.5

$36.43 ¥243

46.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$75.4 ¥504

42.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$182

$104 ¥695

22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 A$2,229

$1,039 ¥6,945

49.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 A$1,553

$589 ¥3,933

84.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 A$3,014

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-15.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,324

$1,237 ¥8,268

31.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,240 A$7,499

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-61.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,884 A$6,989

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-21.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,240 A$4,637

$1,715 ¥11.5K

88.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

3.36

84.52%

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

Last update for Devonport: October 5, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Devonport

$1.1K 45.2%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 45.8% $496

Groceries & Markets

Devonport

$357 14.9%

Shanghai

$237 19% 33.6% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Devonport

$312 13%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 75.7% $236

Eating Out

Devonport

$285 11.9%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 62.3% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Devonport

$165 6.9%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 26.1% $43

Getting Around

Devonport

$115 4.8%

Shanghai

$37 3% 67.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Devonport

$83 3.4%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Devonport and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Devonport pays 89% 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: $86.0 in Devonport vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $237 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Devonport

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

3 h behind Devonport

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,591

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Devonport Shanghai 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Devonport
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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

Devonport vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Devonport and Shanghai differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($2,526 vs $1,250 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 89% higher in Devonport, 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: $1,558 in Devonport versus $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $86.0 in Devonport. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,526 per month in Devonport versus $1,250 in Shanghai – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Shanghai versus $2,526 in Devonport, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Devonport. 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, Devonport 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 102% less than in Devonport. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.