Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Albury

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,246 in Albury, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Albury
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Albury Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Albury

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Albury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,246 in Albury.

Shanghai $1,244
Albury $2,246

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $3,352 in Albury.

Shanghai $1,999
Albury $3,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $4,458 in Albury.

Shanghai $2,755
Albury $4,458

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 45% less than in Albury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Albury is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.45

$20.83 A$29.84

-78.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$88.2 A$126

-65.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.10

$10.52 A$15.07

-50.10%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.92

$4.13 A$5.92

-20.58%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$3.05 A$4.37

-81.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$2.49 A$3.57

-85.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$7.05 A$10.10

-82.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$7.02 A$10.06

-67.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.29

$1.53 A$2.19

20.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.07

$3.19 A$4.57

-38.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.52 A$3.61

-59.13%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$5.16 A$7.39

-67.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$8.59 A$12.31

97.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.31

$9.73 A$13.94

-67.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.2

$12.75 A$18.26

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.99

$3.28 A$4.70

-31.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$3.18 A$4.55

-47.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$3.41 A$4.88

-40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$5.28 A$7.57

-68.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.05 A$4.37

-74.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.12 A$3.03

-56.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.27 A$3.25

-72.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.38 A$1.98

-56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.42

$27.71 A$39.70

-86.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$13.68 A$19.60

-20.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$4.27 A$6.12

-80.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$5.39 A$7.71

-70.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$3.86 A$5.52

-84.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

$71.5 A$102

-58.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.10

$3.44 A$4.92

-38.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.60 A$2.30

-73.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$41.17 A$59.0

-77.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.30 A$1.86

2.31%

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

$19.0K ¥127.1K

$26.6K A$38.1K

-28.39%

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

$18.7K ¥125.0K

$27.9K A$39.9K

-32.84%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$184 A$263

-68.51%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$26.90 A$38.53

-69.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$55.0 A$78.8

-80.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$138 A$197

-52.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$22.37 A$32.05

-20.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$12.91 A$18.49

-30.67%

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

$1,414 ¥9,444

$2,164 A$3,100

-34.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.1K

$20.5K A$29.4K

35.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$62.7 A$89.8

-13.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$42.39 A$60.7

-12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$97.0 A$139

-23.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$107 A$154

-1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,050

$1,102 A$1,579

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,906

$895 A$1,282

-34.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,898 A$2,719

30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,233

$1,388 A$1,989

-11.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$4,706 A$6,742

-63.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.95

-43.53%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Albury: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Albury

$895 39.9% 53.1% $310

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Albury

$365 16.2% 55.3% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Albury

$139 6.2% 14.1% $17

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Albury

$319 14.2% 201% $213

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Albury

$164 7.3% 95.6% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Albury

$266 11.8% 248% $189

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Albury

$98 4.4% 173% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $1,102 in Albury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albury pays 175% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $88.0 in Albury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $365 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Albury

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

05:57 5:57 AM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

5,323

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.46 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Albury 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Albury

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

Shanghai vs Albury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Albury. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 175% lower in Albury. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $1,102 in Albury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Albury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $88.0 in Albury. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,246 in Albury, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Albury. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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, Shanghai and Albury 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Albury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.