Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Cairns

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $2,529 in Cairns, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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 Cairns
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Cairns Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,529

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Cairns

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $2,529 in Cairns, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Cairns $2,529

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $3,731 in Cairns, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Cairns $3,731

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $4,933 in Cairns, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Cairns $4,933

Shanghai is about 51% cheaper than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Cairns is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.40

$17.69 A$25.31

-74.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥197

$97.6 A$140

-69.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.08

$12.79 A$18.30

-60.13%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.88

$4.32 A$6.18

-20.83%

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

$0.61 ¥4.11

$3.14 A$4.50

-80.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$2.74 A$3.92

-86.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$6.84 A$9.79

-82.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.31

$8.34 A$11.94

-72.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.46

$1.94 A$2.78

-4.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.45

$2.63 A$3.77

-23.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$2.57 A$3.68

-60.31%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.46

$5.39 A$7.71

-68.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$9.17 A$13.12

87.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.39

$13.48 A$19.29

-75.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.5

$15.26 A$21.83

-16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.51

$4.17 A$5.97

-47.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.65

$2.75 A$3.93

-36.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.96

$3.54 A$5.06

-45.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$5.65 A$8.08

-70.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.56 A$3.66

-69.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.58 A$3.70

-63.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$2.71 A$3.88

-77.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$2.59 A$3.70

-77.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.60

$43.78 A$62.7

-91.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.1

$13.96 A$19.97

-21.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

$3.55 A$5.08

-76.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$5.22 A$7.46

-69.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$3.56 A$5.10

-83.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥202

$15.43 A$22.08

96.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.77

$2.65 A$3.79

-22.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$1.96 A$2.81

-76.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.8

$42.21 A$60.4

-79.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.28 A$1.83

-0.78%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$31.3K A$44.8K

-37.45%

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

$18.6K ¥124.2K

$40.8K A$58.4K

-54.49%

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

$57.2 ¥382

$164 A$234

-65.03%

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

$8.06 ¥53.8

$34.95 A$50.0

-76.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.3

$65.0 A$93.0

-83.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$44.38 A$63.5

45.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$27.37 A$39.16

-35.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$13.97 A$20.00

-36.72%

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

$1,437 ¥9,605

$2,069 A$2,961

-30.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.5K

$14.2K A$20.3K

98.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥365

$89.1 A$127

-38.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥243

$71.7 A$103

-49.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$122 A$174

-38.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥695

$129 A$185

-19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,945

$1,466 A$2,098

-29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,933

$1,223 A$1,751

-51.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$2,250 A$3,221

10.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,268

$1,944 A$2,783

-36.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.8K

$6,629 A$9,487

104.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$5,015 A$7,177

23.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$4,289 A$6,138

-60.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

6.32

-46.84%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9% 108% $635

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Cairns

$409 16.3% 72.6% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Cairns

$185 7.4% 52.3% $64

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Cairns

$306 12.2% 185% $199

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Cairns

$72 2.9% 12.1% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Cairns

$264 10.5% 248% $188

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Cairns

$42 1.7% 13.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $1,466 in Cairns. 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 150% higher in Cairns, 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 $98.0 in Cairns. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $409 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

15:11 3:11 PM

17:11 5:11 PM

2 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

153,181

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shanghai Cairns 5,950 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
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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

Shanghai vs Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cairns costs about 102% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 $3,793 in Cairns. 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.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Cairns, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai and $98.0 in Cairns. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Cairns at $2,529. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cairns 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, Cairns makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.