Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mildura and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $2,312 in Mildura, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Mildura
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Mildura Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Mildura

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,312

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,312 per month in Mildura vs $1,250 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mildura $2,312
Shanghai $1,250

A couple spends around $3,621 per month in Mildura vs $2,019 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mildura $3,621
Shanghai $2,019

A family of three spends $4,931 per month in Mildura vs $2,789 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mildura $4,931
Shanghai $2,789

Mildura costs about 85% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Mildura sits 73% above the global median, while Shanghai is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.41 A$22.06

$4.55 ¥30.40

238.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 A$152

$29.52 ¥197

259.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 A$16.24

$5.10 ¥34.08

122.55%

Cappuccino

$3.54 A$5.06

$3.42 ¥22.88

3.51%

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

$2.64 A$3.78

$0.61 ¥4.11

332.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 A$3.81

$0.36 ¥2.40

638.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.20 A$8.88

$1.21 ¥8.07

412.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 A$9.57

$2.29 ¥15.31

192.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 A$3.06

$1.86 ¥12.46

15.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.97

$2.01 ¥13.45

37.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 A$3.20

$1.02 ¥6.83

119.61%

Eggs

$8.14 A$11.65

$1.72 ¥11.46

373.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 A$13.92

$17.19 ¥115

-43.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.39

$3.35 ¥22.39

179.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.03 A$21.52

$12.80 ¥85.5

17.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 A$5.43

$2.17 ¥14.51

75.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.40

$1.74 ¥11.65

77.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.70

$1.94 ¥12.96

69.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 A$6.88

$1.68 ¥11.23

186.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$0.77 ¥5.17

212.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 A$3.39

$0.93 ¥6.21

154.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.37

$0.62 ¥4.16

279.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 A$2.36

$0.58 ¥3.88

184.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.48 A$55.1

$3.83 ¥25.60

904.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 A$20.30

$10.94 ¥73.1

29.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.96

$0.84 ¥5.59

479.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 A$7.85

$1.60 ¥10.71

242.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 A$4.24

$0.59 ¥3.92

401.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 A$118

$30.27 ¥202

171.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.06

$2.06 ¥13.77

71.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.26

$0.47 ¥3.13

236.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.99 A$58.7

$8.80 ¥58.8

365.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.83

$1.27 ¥8.51

0.79%

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

$27.2K A$38.9K

$19.6K ¥131.0K

38.87%

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

$29.8K A$42.7K

$18.6K ¥124.2K

60.45%

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

$211 A$302

$57.2 ¥382

268.32%

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

$27.72 A$39.68

$8.06 ¥53.8

243.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 A$81.8

$10.52 ¥70.3

443.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.1

$64.6 ¥432

-12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.92 A$25.65

$17.63 ¥118

1.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 A$22.37

$8.84 ¥59.1

76.81%

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

$2,187 A$3,130

$1,437 ¥9,605

52.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.5K

$28.1K ¥187.5K

-26.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 A$108

$54.7 ¥365

38.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$76.9

$36.43 ¥243

47.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 A$155

$75.4 ¥504

43.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$174

$104 ¥695

17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 A$1,993

$1,039 ¥6,945

34.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 A$1,479

$589 ¥3,933

75.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 A$3,235

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,801 A$2,577

$1,237 ¥8,268

45.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,757 A$8,239

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-57.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,028 A$7,195

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-18.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,500 A$5,008

$1,715 ¥11.5K

104.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.36

73.81%

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

Last update for Mildura: October 4, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mildura

$1K 44.2%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 43.1% $445

Groceries & Markets

Mildura

$391 16.7%

Shanghai

$237 19% 39.5% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mildura

$296 12.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 74.4% $220

Eating Out

Mildura

$265 11.3%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 59.6% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Mildura

$162 6.9%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 24.8% $40

Getting Around

Mildura

$105 4.5%

Shanghai

$37 3% 64.9% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Mildura

$88 3.8%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 6.4% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,393 in Mildura versus $1,039 in Shanghai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 104% higher in Mildura, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Mildura versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $237 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mildura

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

19:24 7:24 PM

3 h behind Mildura

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,565

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 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 = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.49 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Mildura Shanghai 7,590 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mildura
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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

Mildura vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mildura is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,468 per month in Mildura and $1,874 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 171% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,187 per month in Mildura and $1,437 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Mildura at $2,312. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mildura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shanghai – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mildura makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.