Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lihir Island and Shanghai

Lihir Island
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
-
/mo nomad
Shanghai
🇨🇳 China
$1,256
/mo nomad
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$4.45 ¥29.78
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$30.29 ¥203
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$5.09 ¥34.01
-
Cappuccino
-
$3.43 ¥22.96
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.62 ¥4.15
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.39 ¥2.58
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.23 ¥8.25
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.21 ¥14.81
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
-
$1.85 ¥12.37
-
White Bread (500g)
-
$1.95 ¥13.02
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.00 ¥6.67
-
Eggs
-
$1.71 ¥11.43
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$17.47 ¥117
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$3.24 ¥21.66
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.99 ¥86.8
-
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.24 ¥14.98
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.68 ¥11.25
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$1.95 ¥13.03
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$1.73 ¥11.60
-
Potato (1kg)
-
$0.76 ¥5.10
-
Onion (1kg)
-
$0.92 ¥6.15
-
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$0.66 ¥4.41
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.60 ¥4.00
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$3.69 ¥24.65
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$10.92 ¥73.0
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.87 ¥5.85
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.63 ¥10.87
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.62 ¥4.13
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$30.38 ¥203
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$2.06 ¥13.79
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.46 ¥3.08
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.84 ¥59.1
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.33 ¥8.86
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$19.3K ¥128.7K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$18.2K ¥122.0K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$57.1 ¥382
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$8.07 ¥53.9
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$10.70 ¥71.5
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$64.6 ¥432
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.29 ¥116
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$9.05 ¥60.5
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$1,441 ¥9,638
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$28.2K ¥188.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$53.5 ¥358
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$37.05 ¥248
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$77.0 ¥515
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$104 ¥694
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,023 ¥6,841
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$594 ¥3,971
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,563 ¥17.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,213 ¥8,107
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$13.5K ¥90.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,247 ¥41.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lihir Island
Shanghai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,699 ¥11.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
3.36
-

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

Last update for Lihir Island: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lihir Island
–
Shanghai
$594
Groceries & Markets
Lihir Island
–
Shanghai
$238
Clothing & Footwear
Lihir Island
–
Shanghai
$122
Eating Out
Lihir Island
–
Shanghai
$107
Sport & Entertainment
Lihir Island
–
Shanghai
$83
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lihir Island
–
Shanghai
$76
Getting Around
Lihir Island
–
Shanghai
$37
Good to know
🇵🇬 Lihir Island
🇨🇳 Shanghai
🕒 Local time
02:13 2:13 AM
00:13 12:13 AM
2 h behind Lihir Island
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,870,895
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lihir Island Shanghai 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lihir Island
  • 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
Lihir Island vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Where should families live: Lihir Island or Shanghai?
Families tend to lean toward Lihir Island – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Lihir Island and Shanghai?
If budget matters most, go with Lihir Island. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lihir Island vs other spots: cost of living compared

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?