Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Coffs Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,422 in Coffs Harbour, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Coffs Harbour
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Coffs Harbour Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Coffs Harbour

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,422

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Coffs Harbour

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,422 in Coffs Harbour.

Shanghai $1,244
Coffs Harbour $2,422

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $3,551 in Coffs Harbour.

Shanghai $1,999
Coffs Harbour $3,551

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $4,680 in Coffs Harbour.

Shanghai $2,755
Coffs Harbour $4,680

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 49% less than in Coffs Harbour, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Coffs Harbour is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$13.90 A$20.00

-67.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$105 A$151

-71.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$9.16 A$13.18

-42.69%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.70 A$5.32

-11.35%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$2.80 A$4.03

-79.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$1.94 A$2.80

-81.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$5.07 A$7.29

-75.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$5.53 A$7.96

-58.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.52 A$2.18

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$2.73 A$3.92

-28.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.33 A$3.35

-55.79%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$3.40 A$4.89

-50.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$9.04 A$13.00

87.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$7.15 A$10.28

-55.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.16 A$20.38

-8.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.81 A$5.49

-41.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.03 A$4.37

-45.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$3.47 A$5.00

-41.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.25 A$6.12

-60.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$1.35 A$1.95

-42.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.50 A$3.59

-62.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.41 A$3.47

-73.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$2.33 A$3.35

-74.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$31.57 A$45.43

-87.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$14.01 A$20.16

-22.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$5.90 A$8.49

-86.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$6.76 A$9.72

-76.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$4.84 A$6.97

-87.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$2.10 A$3.03

0.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.55 A$2.24

-72.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$35.59 A$51.2

-74.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.29 A$1.86

3.10%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$26.5K A$38.2K

-28.29%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$32.7K A$47.0K

-42.78%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$176 A$253

-67.06%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$10.55 A$15.18

-23.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$53.5 A$77.0

-80.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$108 A$155

-38.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$13.84 A$19.92

-35.33%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$2,176 A$3,131

-35.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$11.8K A$17.0K

135.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$74.9 A$108

-27.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$54.0 A$77.7

-31.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$104 A$150

-28.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$120 A$173

-12.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$1,387 A$1,997

-23.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$1,259 A$1,812

-53.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$2,108 A$3,033

17.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$1,939 A$2,790

-36.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$3,557 A$5,119

291.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$3,546 A$5,102

76.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$3,275 A$4,713

-47.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.69

-40.95%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Coffs Harbour: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Coffs Harbour

$1.3K 52% 115% $675

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Coffs Harbour

$361 14.9% 53.6% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Coffs Harbour

$159 6.6% 30.3% $37

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Coffs Harbour

$238 9.8% 125% $132

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Coffs Harbour

$135 5.6% 61.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Coffs Harbour

$240 9.9% 214% $163

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Coffs Harbour

$29 * 1.2% 19% $6.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $1,387 in Coffs Harbour. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coffs Harbour pays 91% 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 $105 in Coffs Harbour for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $361 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Coffs Harbour

🕒 Local time

10:37 10:37 AM

13:37 1:37 PM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

78,759

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Between locations

Shanghai Coffs Harbour 7,610 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Coffs Harbour

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 Coffs Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Coffs Harbour. 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 $1,387 in Coffs Harbour. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Coffs Harbour. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $2,422 in Coffs Harbour – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,422 in Coffs Harbour, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Coffs Harbour. 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 Coffs Harbour 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 95% less than in Coffs Harbour. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.