Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockhampton and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,985 in Rockhampton, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
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Rockhampton Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,985

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,985 per month in Rockhampton vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Rockhampton $1,985
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $3,201 per month in Rockhampton vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Rockhampton $3,201
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $4,418 per month in Rockhampton vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Rockhampton $4,418
Shanghai $2,755

Rockhampton costs about 60% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Rockhampton sits 47% above the global median, while Shanghai is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.54 A$29.56

$4.56 ¥30.47

350.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 A$122

$30.21 ¥202

180.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 A$13.92

$5.25 ¥35.13

84.38%

Cappuccino

$5.00 A$7.19

$3.28 ¥21.94

52.44%

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

$2.37 A$3.41

$0.57 ¥3.84

315.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 A$3.89

$0.36 ¥2.39

650.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 A$11.26

$1.23 ¥8.23

535.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 A$8.95

$2.27 ¥15.18

174.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 A$3.23

$1.84 ¥12.30

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 A$3.17

$1.96 ¥13.08

12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.99

$1.03 ¥6.87

101.94%

Eggs

$3.65 A$5.26

$1.67 ¥11.16

118.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 A$9.57

$16.96 ¥113

-60.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.88 A$15.65

$3.19 ¥21.33

241.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 A$22.60

$12.90 ¥86.3

21.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.85

$2.24 ¥15.00

19.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 A$3.07

$1.66 ¥11.13

28.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 A$2.67

$2.02 ¥13.54

-7.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 A$6.75

$1.66 ¥11.08

182.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.94

$0.77 ¥5.17

166.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.26

$0.93 ¥6.21

143.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 A$2.69

$0.63 ¥4.19

196.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$0.60 ¥3.99

256.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.22 A$53.6

$3.80 ¥25.44

879.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 A$21.86

$10.87 ¥72.7

39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.78

$0.82 ¥5.51

304.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.00 A$8.63

$1.61 ¥10.76

272.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 A$2.38

$0.61 ¥4.11

172.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 A$93.1

$29.40 ¥197

120.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 A$4.85

$2.11 ¥14.11

59.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 A$2.64

$0.43 ¥2.87

327.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.56 A$56.9

$9.06 ¥60.6

336.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.79

$1.33 ¥8.89

-6.02%

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

$29.3K A$42.1K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

53.78%

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

$22.8K A$32.8K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

21.75%

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

$206 A$296

$57.8 ¥387

255.63%

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

$23.90 A$34.39

$8.09 ¥54.1

195.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 A$96.3

$10.48 ¥70.0

538.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.23 A$57.9

$65.7 ¥439

-38.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 A$19.74

$17.82 ¥119

-23.01%

Cinema Ticket

$15.72 A$22.62

$8.95 ¥59.9

75.64%

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

$1,739 A$2,502

$1,414 ¥9,451

22.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,479 A$9,323

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-76.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 A$177

$54.0 ¥361

128.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.2 A$86.7

$37.09 ¥248

62.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 A$204

$74.3 ¥496

90.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.5 A$88.5

$106 ¥706

-41.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 A$1,175

$1,055 ¥7,056

-22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 A$985

$585 ¥3,910

17.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 A$2,347

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-34.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 A$2,179

$1,232 ¥8,240

22.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,321 A$4,779

$1,711 ¥11.4K

94.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.27

3.36

86.61%

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

Last update for Rockhampton: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rockhampton

$685 34.5%

Shanghai

$585 47% 14.6% $100

Groceries & Markets

Rockhampton

$349 17.6%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 32.7% $114

Eating Out

Rockhampton

$325 16.4%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 67.4% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockhampton

$296 14.9%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 74.2% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Rockhampton

$174 8.8%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 29.9% $52

Getting Around

Rockhampton

$84 4.2%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 56.9% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Rockhampton

$72 3.6%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 16.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Rockhampton versus $1,055 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 94% higher in Rockhampton, 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 $85.0 in Rockhampton versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $235 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

2 h behind Rockhampton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,151

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Rockhampton Shanghai 6,810 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rockhampton
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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

Rockhampton vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rockhampton is pricier by about 60%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,977 per month in Rockhampton and $1,865 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,985 in Rockhampton and $1,244 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 120% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Rockhampton at $1,985. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rockhampton 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, Rockhampton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.