Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Berwick

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,633 in Berwick, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Berwick
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Berwick Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Berwick

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Berwick

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 Berwick actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,633 in Berwick.

Shanghai $1,244
Berwick $2,633

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $3,679 in Berwick.

Shanghai $1,999
Berwick $3,679

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $4,726 in Berwick.

Shanghai $2,755
Berwick $4,726

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 53% less than in Berwick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Berwick is 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.43

$17.05 A$24.54

-73.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$83.3 A$120

-63.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.08

$10.61 A$15.26

-50.52%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.91

$4.55 A$6.55

-27.91%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$2.82 A$4.06

-79.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.38

$2.21 A$3.18

-83.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$7.44 A$10.71

-83.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.16

$7.50 A$10.80

-69.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.28

$1.57 A$2.26

17.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.06

$2.50 A$3.59

-21.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$2.08 A$2.99

-50.48%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$4.25 A$6.11

-60.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$8.62 A$12.40

96.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.30

$10.11 A$14.55

-68.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.1

$12.67 A$18.24

1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.52 A$5.06

-36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$2.82 A$4.06

-41.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.52

$3.00 A$4.32

-32.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$4.92 A$7.08

-66.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.06 A$4.40

-74.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.20

$2.48 A$3.58

-62.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.18

$2.16 A$3.11

-70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.39 A$2.00

-56.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.40

$40.63 A$58.5

-90.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$13.79 A$19.85

-21.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.50

$4.00 A$5.75

-79.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$4.86 A$7.00

-66.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.58 A$3.71

-76.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

$81.4 A$117

-63.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.09

$3.05 A$4.39

-30.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.45 A$2.08

-70.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.5

$35.87 A$51.6

-74.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.36 A$1.96

-2.21%

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

$19.0K ¥127.0K

$25.8K A$37.2K

-26.32%

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

$18.7K ¥124.9K

$32.2K A$46.3K

-41.89%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$217 A$312

-73.36%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$31.64 A$45.53

-74.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥69.9

$61.6 A$88.6

-82.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$63.6 A$91.5

3.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$16.69 A$24.02

6.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$13.94 A$20.07

-35.80%

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

$1,414 ¥9,438

$1,927 A$2,773

-26.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.0K

$19.9K A$28.6K

40.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥360

$80.9 A$116

-33.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$51.3 A$73.8

-27.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$113 A$163

-34.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$112 A$162

-5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,046

$1,214 A$1,747

-13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,904

$1,325 A$1,906

-55.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$2,240 A$3,223

10.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,228

$1,820 A$2,620

-32.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

$5,328 A$7,667

161.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.7K

$5,547 A$7,982

12.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.84

-42.47%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Berwick: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Berwick

$1.3K 50.3% 127% $740

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Berwick

$348 13.2% 48.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Berwick

$161 6.1% 32% $39

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Berwick

$295 11.2% 178% $189

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Berwick

$92 3.5% 9.4% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Berwick

$310 11.8% 306% $234

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Berwick

$102 3.9% 183% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $1,214 in Berwick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $83.0 in Berwick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $348 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Berwick

🕒 Local time

01:17 1:17 AM

04:17 4:17 AM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

47,674

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Shanghai Berwick 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Berwick

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 Berwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Shanghai and $3,949 in Berwick 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: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $1,214 in Berwick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $83.0 in Berwick. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $2,633 in Berwick – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,633 in Berwick, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Berwick. 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 Berwick 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 112% less than in Berwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.