Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Boroko

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $883 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Boroko
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Boroko Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Boroko

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Boroko

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $883 in Boroko, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Boroko $883

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $1,279 in Boroko, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Boroko $1,279

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $1,676 in Boroko, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Boroko $1,676

Shanghai costs about 42% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Shanghai and Boroko are more affordable than the global median – Shanghai 7% lower, Boroko 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$7.32 PGK 32.06

-37.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$34.97 PGK 153

-15.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$5.65 PGK 24.74

-9.73%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$2.49 PGK 10.91

37.35%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$0.73 PGK 3.22

-16.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$0.68 PGK 2.99

-47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$2.57 PGK 11.28

-52.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$3.60 PGK 15.78

-36.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$1.51 PGK 6.60

23.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$1.20 PGK 5.27

67.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$1.22 PGK 5.34

-16.39%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$3.69 PGK 16.19

-53.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$4.91 PGK 21.53

250.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$5.74 PGK 25.15

-41.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$6.51 PGK 28.52

96.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$3.93 PGK 17.21

-44.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$3.13 PGK 13.74

-44.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$2.68 PGK 11.76

-27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.67 PGK 11.69

-37.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$2.84 PGK 12.45

-72.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$0.85 PGK 3.75

9.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.13 PGK 4.94

-45.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.43 PGK 1.87

34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$5.51 PGK 24.16

-30.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$4.87 PGK 21.33

124.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$1.13 PGK 4.95

-25.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$1.58 PGK 6.93

1.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$0.43 PGK 1.88

37.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$29.80 PGK 131

1.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$4.54 PGK 19.87

-54.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$1.36 PGK 5.96

-65.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$11.18 PGK 48.99

-21.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$0.79 PGK 3.47

60.76%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$20.6K PGK 90.3K

-4.86%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$17.4K PGK 76.3K

6.74%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$62.5 PGK 274

-8.42%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$22.96 PGK 101

-64.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$90.5 PGK 396

-88.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$42.26 PGK 185

52.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$14.52 PGK 63.6

21.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$6.56 PGK 28.73

34.76%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$328 PGK 1,438

337.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$2,247 PGK 9,848

1148.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$32.17 PGK 141

69.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$13.05 PGK 57.2

179.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$45.08 PGK 198

67.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$26.83 PGK 118

287.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$3,311 PGK 14.5K

-68.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$225 PGK 984

162.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$3,352 PGK 14.7K

-25.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$224 PGK 982

451.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$356 PGK 1,561

381.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

-69.45%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Boroko: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Boroko

$225 25.2% 61.8% $364

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Boroko

$211 23.6% 11.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Boroko

$53 5.9% 56.7% $69

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Boroko

$131 14.7% 22.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Boroko

$55 6.2% 32.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Boroko

$176 19.7% 132% $100

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Boroko

$43 4.8% 15.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $3,311 in Boroko. 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 382% higher in Shanghai, 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 $30.00 in Shanghai versus $35.00 in Boroko. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Shanghai vs $211 in Boroko – so Boroko wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇵🇬 Boroko

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

12:47 12:47 PM

2 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.91 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Boroko 5,290 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Boroko

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 Boroko: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 42% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai and $1,324 in Boroko. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boroko, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,437 per month in Shanghai and $328 in Boroko. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Boroko, where all-in costs run around $883, than in Shanghai at $1,250. In Boroko it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Boroko – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Boroko. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.