Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guangzhou (Canton) and Penrith

For one person, living is cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton): $914 a month against $2,503 in Penrith, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Guangzhou (Canton), China
Penrith, Australia
Guangzhou (Canton)
🇨🇳 China
$914
/mo nomad
Penrith
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,503
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guangzhou (Canton) and in Penrith

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

A single person spends $914 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $2,503 in Penrith, rent included.

  • Guangzhou (Canton) $914
  • Penrith $2,503

A couple spends around $1,442 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $3,797 in Penrith, rent included.

  • Guangzhou (Canton) $1,442
  • Penrith $3,797

A family of three spends $1,971 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $5,090 in Penrith, rent included.

  • Guangzhou (Canton) $1,971
  • Penrith $5,090

Guangzhou (Canton) is about 63% cheaper than Penrith, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Guangzhou (Canton) sits 33% below the global median, while Penrith is 84% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.03 ¥20.16
$21.45 A$30.47
-85.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.73 ¥198
$91.4 A$130
-67.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.36 ¥35.66
$10.39 A$14.76
-48.41%
Cappuccino
$3.19 ¥21.21
$2.12 A$3.01
50.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.54 ¥3.60
$3.05 A$4.34
-82.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 ¥2.43
$2.54 A$3.61
-85.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.31 ¥8.74
$8.45 A$12.00
-84.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 ¥18.30
$4.93 A$7.01
-44.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.87 ¥12.46
$1.56 A$2.21
19.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.92 ¥12.77
$3.18 A$4.51
-39.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 ¥7.30
$2.59 A$3.68
-57.53%
Eggs
$1.56 ¥10.40
$5.45 A$7.74
-71.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.83 ¥112
$13.31 A$18.91
26.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.18 ¥34.46
$9.69 A$13.77
-46.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.00 ¥79.9
$15.30 A$21.73
-21.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.22 ¥14.77
$4.09 A$5.81
-45.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.25 ¥8.33
$3.27 A$4.64
-61.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ¥9.64
$3.48 A$4.95
-58.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.72 ¥11.43
$5.13 A$7.28
-66.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.95 ¥6.30
$3.14 A$4.47
-69.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 ¥8.07
$2.78 A$3.95
-56.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 ¥5.58
$2.50 A$3.56
-66.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 ¥4.74
$1.39 A$1.98
-48.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 ¥26.05
$44.37 A$63.1
-91.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 ¥72.3
$14.08 A$20.00
-22.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 ¥6.80
$4.84 A$6.88
-78.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 ¥12.82
$5.41 A$7.68
-64.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.44 ¥2.92
$2.58 A$3.66
-82.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$18.29 ¥122
$90.6 A$129
-79.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.77 ¥11.76
$4.19 A$5.96
-57.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.40 ¥2.66
$1.66 A$2.35
-75.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.21 ¥48.01
$43.13 A$61.3
-83.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 ¥9.11
$1.18 A$1.67
16.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K ¥131.3K
$27.8K A$39.6K
-29.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.8K ¥118.7K
$26.0K A$36.9K
-31.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$60.4 ¥402
$185 A$263
-67.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.16 ¥108
$26.35 A$37.45
-38.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.47 ¥96.3
$56.3 A$80.0
-74.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.9 ¥472
$48.19 A$68.5
47.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.27 ¥81.7
$18.59 A$26.41
-34.00%
Cinema Ticket
$6.53 ¥43.43
$15.50 A$22.02
-57.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,612 ¥10.7K
$2,447 A$3,477
-34.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.7K ¥164.3K
$20.5K A$29.1K
20.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.97 ¥326
$76.3 A$108
-35.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.73 ¥271
$56.1 A$79.7
-27.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.1 ¥546
$108 A$154
-24.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.3 ¥474
$134 A$191
-46.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$509 ¥3,386
$1,423 A$2,022
-64.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$270 ¥1,794
$1,173 A$1,667
-77.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,224 ¥8,144
$2,418 A$3,435
-49.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$500 ¥3,330
$2,037 A$2,895
-75.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,271 ¥55.0K
$6,446 A$9,160
28.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,705 ¥24.7K
$5,240 A$7,445
-29.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Guangzhou (Canton)
Penrith
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,269 ¥8,443
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.38
5.95
-43.19%

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

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): October 26, 2026

Last update for Penrith: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Guangzhou (Canton)
$270
Penrith
$1.2K 335% $904
Groceries & Markets
Guangzhou (Canton)
$242
Penrith
$398 64.7% $157
Clothing & Footwear
Guangzhou (Canton)
$109
Penrith
$169 54.2% $59
Eating Out
Guangzhou (Canton)
$94
Penrith
$303 221% $208
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Guangzhou (Canton)
$91
Penrith
$268 194% $177
Sport & Entertainment
Guangzhou (Canton)
$84
Penrith
$79 5.6% $4.7
Getting Around
Guangzhou (Canton)
$24
Penrith
$113 376% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $509 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $1,423 in Penrith. 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 $30 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $91 in Penrith. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $242 vs $398 – making Guangzhou (Canton) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Guangzhou (Canton)
🇦🇺 Penrith
🕒 Local time
21:16 9:16 PM
00:16 12:16 AM
3 h ahead of Guangzhou (Canton)
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,043,500
13,343
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Guangzhou (Canton) Penrith 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Guangzhou (Canton)
  • Penrith

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
Guangzhou (Canton) vs Penrith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Guangzhou (Canton) and in Penrith compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $914 in Guangzhou (Canton), $2,503 in Penrith – roughly 174% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Guangzhou (Canton) compared to Penrith?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,371 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) and $3,755 in Penrith. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Guangzhou (Canton) and Penrith?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton), especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $509 there versus $1,423 in Penrith.
Which city is more expensive overall: Guangzhou (Canton) or Penrith?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $914 in Guangzhou (Canton) and $2,503 in Penrith. That’s a gap of about 174%.
How do commuting costs compare in Guangzhou (Canton) and in Penrith?
Public transport costs about 80% less in Guangzhou (Canton). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Guangzhou (Canton), where all-in costs run around $914, than in Penrith at $2,503. In Guangzhou (Canton) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Penrith it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Guangzhou (Canton) or Penrith?
Families tend to lean toward Guangzhou (Canton) – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Guangzhou (Canton) or Penrith?
For expats, Guangzhou (Canton) is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 174% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Guangzhou (Canton) vs other spots: cost of living compared

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