Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grafton and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,437 in Grafton, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Grafton
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Grafton Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Grafton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,437

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,437 in Grafton versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Grafton $2,437
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,470 in Grafton versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Grafton $3,470
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,504 in Grafton versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Grafton $4,504
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Grafton is roughly 96% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grafton is 81% above, Shanghai is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.31 A$24.90

$4.56 ¥30.47

279.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 A$102

$30.21 ¥202

134.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$16.33

$5.25 ¥35.13

116.19%

Cappuccino

$3.28 A$4.72

$3.28 ¥21.94

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

$2.74 A$3.95

$0.57 ¥3.84

380.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 A$3.61

$0.36 ¥2.39

597.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.37 A$12.05

$1.23 ¥8.23

580.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.30

$2.27 ¥15.18

276.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.64

$1.84 ¥12.30

-38.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 A$3.91

$1.96 ¥13.08

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$1.03 ¥6.87

122.33%

Eggs

$3.65 A$5.25

$1.67 ¥11.16

118.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 A$12.94

$16.96 ¥113

-46.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 A$11.14

$3.19 ¥21.33

142.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$20.15

$12.90 ¥86.3

8.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$2.24 ¥15.00

26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.66 ¥11.13

-18.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 A$4.36

$2.02 ¥13.54

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 A$6.90

$1.66 ¥11.08

189.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.98

$0.77 ¥5.17

168.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.15

$0.93 ¥6.21

135.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 A$2.53

$0.63 ¥4.19

179.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 A$1.61

$0.60 ¥3.99

86.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.96 A$43.12

$3.80 ¥25.44

688.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 A$18.16

$10.87 ¥72.7

16.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.23 A$7.52

$0.82 ¥5.51

537.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 A$7.25

$1.61 ¥10.76

213.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 A$4.40

$0.61 ¥4.11

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.3 A$133

$29.40 ¥197

213.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 A$4.24

$2.11 ¥14.11

39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 A$2.68

$0.43 ¥2.87

332.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.63 A$58.5

$9.06 ¥60.6

348.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.89

$1.33 ¥8.89

-1.50%

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

$27.4K A$39.4K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

44.00%

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

$24.2K A$34.8K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

29.24%

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

$158 A$227

$57.8 ¥387

173.24%

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

$25.90 A$37.26

$8.09 ¥54.1

220.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.09 A$69.2

$10.48 ¥70.0

358.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.7

$65.7 ¥439

-15.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.55 A$23.82

$17.82 ¥119

-7.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.76 A$16.92

$8.95 ¥59.9

31.40%

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

$680 A$978

$1,414 ¥9,451

-51.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,086 A$4,441

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-88.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 A$117

$54.0 ¥361

51.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.48 A$62.6

$37.09 ¥248

17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$74.3 ¥496

48.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$159

$106 ¥706

4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 A$1,959

$1,055 ¥7,056

28.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 A$1,786

$585 ¥3,910

112.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,908

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-18.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 A$2,638

$1,232 ¥8,240

48.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,426 A$7,808

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-61.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,449 A$6,403

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-28.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,426 A$3,492

$1,711 ¥11.4K

41.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

3.36

72.92%

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

Last update for Grafton: 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

Grafton

$1.2K 50.9%

Shanghai

$585 47% 52.9% $656

Groceries & Markets

Grafton

$321 13.2%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 26.9% $86

Eating Out

Grafton

$292 12%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 63.7% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grafton

$232 9.5%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 67.1% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Grafton

$156 6.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 21.8% $34

Getting Around

Grafton

$117 4.8%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 69.1% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Grafton

$79 3.2%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 5.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,361 in Grafton and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 42% 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: $71.0 in Grafton vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $235 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Grafton

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

3 h behind Grafton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,255

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 →

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Grafton Shanghai 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Grafton
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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

Grafton vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grafton and Shanghai differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,437 vs $1,244 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Grafton, 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: $1,361 in Grafton versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Grafton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $71.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,437 in Grafton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Grafton. 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, Grafton 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 96% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.