Cost of Living Comparison Between Penrith and Foshan Cost of Living Comparison Between Penrith and Foshan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,196 in Penrith versus $735 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,214 in Penrith versus $1,180 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,232 in Penrith versus $1,625 in Foshan.

Living in Penrith is roughly 199% more expensive than in Foshan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Penrith is 64% above, Foshan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 A$15.55

$3.11 ¥21.03

249.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 A$125

$22.61 ¥153

286.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 A$13.91

$4.94 ¥33.42

96.56%

Cappuccino

$2.54 A$3.65

$3.10 ¥21.00

-18.06%

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

$2.59 A$3.72

$0.50 ¥3.35

418.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.35

$0.30 ¥2.05

680.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 A$9.35

$1.09 ¥7.38

498.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 A$6.54

$1.64 ¥11.11

178.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.96

$1.74 ¥11.80

-21.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 A$3.18

$2.02 ¥13.70

9.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.88 A$1.26

$1.24 ¥8.39

-29.03%

Eggs

$3.35 A$4.80

$1.88 ¥12.69

78.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 A$14.11

$13.04 ¥88.3

-24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 A$11.86

$4.06 ¥27.44

103.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.46 A$20.72

$13.55 ¥91.7

6.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.34

$1.82 ¥12.32

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 A$4.22

$1.22 ¥8.22

141.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.27

$1.74 ¥11.79

71.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 A$6.86

$1.39 ¥9.41

244.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.32

$1.01 ¥6.82

129.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.76

$1.06 ¥7.16

82.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.37

$0.74 ¥5.00

217.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 A$1.06

$0.56 ¥3.80

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.46 A$43.65

$3.38 ¥22.86

801.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.58 A$20.88

$10.34 ¥70.0

41.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 A$7.15

$0.97 ¥6.59

414.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 A$8.32

$1.43 ¥9.71

306.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.75

$0.29 ¥1.98

803.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 A$92.1

$11.21 ¥75.9

473.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.88

$1.69 ¥11.44

143.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 A$2.58

$0.37 ¥2.54

386.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.08 A$58.9

$6.67 ¥45.13

515.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.17 ¥7.93

-1.71%

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

$29.0K A$41.6K

$20.9K ¥141.2K

39.13%

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

$22.6K A$32.3K

$19.7K ¥133.3K

14.50%

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

$160 A$230

$65.4 ¥443

144.85%

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

$29.40 A$42.13

$10.19 ¥69.0

188.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 A$75.0

$13.17 ¥89.1

297.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 A$68.9

$67.9 ¥460

-29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.79 A$22.63

$19.83 ¥134

-20.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.49 A$19.32

$6.39 ¥43.27

111.11%

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

$1,780 A$2,550

$415 ¥2,806

329.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K A$19.1K

$18.4K ¥124.8K

-27.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 A$103

$43.07 ¥291

66.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 A$81.7

$28.15 ¥191

102.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 A$141

$70.0 ¥474

40.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 A$165

$78.8 ¥534

46.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 A$1,601

$281 ¥1,899

298.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 A$1,530

$141 ¥957

654.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,003 A$2,870

$572 ¥3,872

250.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,696 A$2,431

$309 ¥2,094

448.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,908 A$9,896

$4,243 ¥28.7K

62.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,569 A$6,546

$1,850 ¥12.5K

147.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$811 ¥5,486

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

4.04

55.69%

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

Last update for Penrith: July 12, 2026

Last update for Foshan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Penrith and $281 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $87.0 in Penrith vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $224 per month, with Foshan cheaper across the board.

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

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 199% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,294 in Penrith and $1,103 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,117 in Penrith versus $281 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 473% less than in Penrith. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,780 in Penrith versus $415 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $735 in Foshan versus $2,196 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.

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, 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.

Expats usually find Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 199% less than in Penrith. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.