Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,222 a month against $2,543 in Forbes, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Forbes versus $1,222 in Shanghai.

Forbes $2,543
Shanghai $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,751 in Forbes versus $1,971 in Shanghai.

Forbes $3,751
Shanghai $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Forbes versus $2,720 in Shanghai.

Forbes $4,958
Shanghai $2,720

Living in Forbes is roughly 108% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Forbes is 87% above, Shanghai is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 A$22.61

$4.53 ¥30.11

251.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.9 A$135

$30.16 ¥201

214.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 A$16.07

$5.11 ¥34.04

121.33%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.00

$3.41 ¥22.70

3.23%

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

$2.99 A$4.24

$0.58 ¥3.85

415.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.37

$0.35 ¥2.36

577.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 A$9.92

$1.23 ¥8.22

467.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 A$10.52

$2.31 ¥15.37

220.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.41

$1.88 ¥12.52

-10.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.44

$1.94 ¥12.88

24.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.04

$0.98 ¥6.52

118.37%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.10

$1.70 ¥11.31

194.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.44

$17.02 ¥113

-40.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.53

$3.22 ¥21.41

195.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 A$19.49

$12.93 ¥86.0

6.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 A$5.37

$2.15 ¥14.31

75.81%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.27

$1.73 ¥11.48

73.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.05

$2.03 ¥13.51

74.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$1.73 ¥11.54

184.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.55

$0.83 ¥5.51

201.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.63

$0.92 ¥6.13

177.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.24

$0.67 ¥4.48

240.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.06

$0.59 ¥3.92

145.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.43 A$66.0

$3.77 ¥25.10

1131.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.57

$11.03 ¥73.4

12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.75

$0.90 ¥6.00

427.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 A$8.24

$1.60 ¥10.67

262.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.78

$0.57 ¥3.81

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$29.62 ¥197

164.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 A$5.26

$2.14 ¥14.25

72.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 A$2.45

$0.47 ¥3.10

265.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.70 A$64.9

$8.74 ¥58.2

422.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.78

$1.34 ¥8.93

-6.72%

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

$33.8K A$48.1K

$19.3K ¥128.1K

75.68%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$18.3K ¥121.7K

53.98%

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

$195 A$277

$58.9 ¥392

230.90%

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

$23.66 A$33.62

$7.90 ¥52.5

199.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.8

$10.60 ¥70.5

403.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 A$84.0

$64.8 ¥431

-8.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 A$28.02

$17.47 ¥116

12.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$17.13

$9.06 ¥60.3

33.00%

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

$2,301 A$3,269

$1,587 ¥10.6K

44.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$30.3K

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-24.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$115

$54.6 ¥363

47.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 A$80.6

$37.21 ¥248

52.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$166

$74.6 ¥496

56.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$176

$106 ¥707

16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 A$2,213

$1,026 ¥6,826

51.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,816

$559 ¥3,722

128.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 A$3,499

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-5.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,901

$1,191 ¥7,926

71.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,428

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-60.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,146 A$7,312

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-21.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.36

75.60%

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

Last update for Forbes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 56.2% $719

Groceries & Markets

Forbes

$364 14.3%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 35% $127

Eating Out

Forbes

$275 10.8%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 61% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forbes

$272 10.7%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 71.5% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Forbes

$170 6.7%

Shanghai

$123 10% 27.8% $47

Getting Around

Forbes

$101 4%

Shanghai

$36 3% 64.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Forbes

$83 3.3%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Forbes and $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Forbes vs $30 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $237 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forbes

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

22:47 10:47 PM

3 h behind Forbes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,481

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Forbes Shanghai 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Forbes vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forbes and Shanghai differ by about 108% in total monthly costs ($2,543 vs $1,222 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,814 in Forbes and $1,833 in Shanghai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,558 in Forbes versus $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,543 per month in Forbes versus $1,222 in Shanghai – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shanghai runs roughly 62% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,222 in Shanghai versus $2,543 in Forbes, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Forbes. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shanghai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Forbes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Forbes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.