Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Penrith and Foshan

For one person, living is cheaper in Foshan: $777 a month against $2,604 in Penrith, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Penrith
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,604
/mo nomad
Foshan
🇨🇳 China
$777
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Penrith and in Foshan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,604 in Penrith versus $777 in Foshan.

  • Penrith $2,604
  • Foshan $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,652 in Penrith versus $1,242 in Foshan.

  • Penrith $3,652
  • Foshan $1,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,701 in Penrith versus $1,708 in Foshan.

  • Penrith $4,701
  • Foshan $1,708

Living in Penrith is roughly 235% more expensive than in Foshan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Penrith is 93% above, Foshan is 42% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.03 A$30.26
$3.78 ¥25.26
456.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.7 A$129
$22.79 ¥152
293.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.56 A$15.19
$5.11 ¥34.19
106.65%
Cappuccino
$2.04 A$2.93
$3.07 ¥20.50
-33.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 A$4.54
$0.52 ¥3.49
507.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 A$3.69
$0.31 ¥2.09
725.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.57 A$12.33
$1.22 ¥8.17
602.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.96 A$7.14
$1.89 ¥12.61
162.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 A$2.26
$1.66 ¥11.11
-5.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.32 A$4.78
$1.12 ¥7.48
196.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.54 A$3.65
$0.92 ¥6.16
176.09%
Eggs
$5.16 A$7.42
$1.70 ¥11.38
203.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 A$18.82
$16.68 ¥112
-21.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 A$14.02
$3.92 ¥26.18
148.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.40 A$22.16
$10.69 ¥71.5
44.06%
Apples (1kg)
$3.93 A$5.65
$3.01 ¥20.16
30.56%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 A$4.43
$1.27 ¥8.51
142.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.50 A$5.04
$1.90 ¥12.69
84.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.31 A$7.65
$1.63 ¥10.91
225.77%
Potato (1kg)
$3.17 A$4.56
$1.09 ¥7.27
190.83%
Onion (1kg)
$2.80 A$4.02
$0.95 ¥6.38
194.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 A$3.57
$0.64 ¥4.26
287.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 A$1.93
$0.50 ¥3.36
168.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.42 A$65.4
$2.23 ¥14.89
1936.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.07 A$20.24
$10.23 ¥68.4
37.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.62 A$6.65
$0.93 ¥6.24
396.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.64 A$8.11
$1.51 ¥10.13
273.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.17 A$4.57
$0.31 ¥2.08
922.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.5 A$113
$10.62 ¥71.0
638.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.11 A$5.92
$1.52 ¥10.18
170.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 A$2.26
$0.47 ¥3.15
234.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.63 A$61.3
$8.81 ¥58.9
383.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 A$1.70
$1.22 ¥8.19
-3.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K A$39.0K
$21.3K ¥142.3K
27.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.0K A$43.2K
$16.2K ¥108.3K
85.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$183 A$263
$84.5 ¥565
116.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.16 A$37.65
$7.92 ¥53.0
230.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.4 A$79.7
$15.69 ¥105
253.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 A$73.4
$71.4 ¥477
-28.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.66 A$25.42
$23.83 ¥159
-25.89%
Cinema Ticket
$15.88 A$22.86
$5.31 ¥35.50
199.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,390 A$3,439
$457 ¥3,054
423.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.9K A$28.7K
$23.3K ¥155.8K
-14.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$75.3 A$108
$42.21 ¥282
78.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.1 A$80.8
$18.76 ¥125
199.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$155
$62.1 ¥415
73.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 A$193
$91.8 ¥614
46.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,371 A$1,973
$304 ¥2,031
351.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,289 A$1,855
$159 ¥1,061
712.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,142 A$3,082
$596 ¥3,982
259.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,686 A$2,427
$341 ¥2,279
394.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,992 A$7,184
$4,329 ¥28.9K
15.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,361 A$6,275
$1,864 ¥12.5K
133.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Penrith
Foshan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$802 ¥5,362
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.95
3.83
55.35%

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

Last update for Penrith: October 11, 2026

Last update for Foshan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Penrith
$1.3K
Foshan
$159 87.7% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Penrith
$396
Foshan
$220 44.4% $176
Eating Out
Penrith
$300
Foshan
$96 68.1% $204
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Penrith
$264
Foshan
$108 59.1% $156
Clothing & Footwear
Penrith
$168
Foshan
$97 42.5% $71
Getting Around
Penrith
$103
Foshan
$16 84.7% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Penrith
$83
Foshan
$82 0.9% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Penrith and $304 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Penrith vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $220 per month, with Foshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Penrith
🇨🇳 Foshan
🕒 Local time
13:03 1:03 PM
10:03 10:03 AM
3 h behind Penrith
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,343
9,498,863
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 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
  • Penrith Foshan 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Penrith
  • Foshan

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
Penrith vs Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Foshan cheaper than Penrith?
Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 235% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,905 in Penrith and $1,166 in Foshan 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.
What is the rent difference between Penrith and Foshan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,371 in Penrith versus $304 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 639% less than in Penrith. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,390 in Penrith versus $457 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Penrith or in Foshan?
At $777 in Foshan versus $2,604 in Penrith, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Penrith. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Penrith or in Foshan?
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.
Which city is safer, Penrith or Foshan?
Safety-wise, Penrith and Foshan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 235% less than in Penrith. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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