Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Devonport

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $2,526 in Devonport, 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 Devonport
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Devonport Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Devonport

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Devonport

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Shanghai versus $2,526 in Devonport.

Shanghai $1,250
Devonport $2,526

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Shanghai versus $3,613 in Devonport.

Shanghai $2,019
Devonport $3,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,789 in Shanghai versus $4,700 in Devonport.

Shanghai $2,789
Devonport $4,700

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 51% less than in Devonport, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 7% below, Devonport is 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.40

$17.82 A$25.50

-74.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥197

$85.7 A$123

-65.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.08

$8.38 A$11.99

-39.14%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.88

$3.94 A$5.64

-13.20%

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

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.09 A$3.00

-70.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.40

$1.80 A$2.58

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.07

$7.17 A$10.26

-83.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.31

$9.22 A$13.19

-75.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.46

$1.82 A$2.61

2.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.45

$2.40 A$3.43

-16.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$1.85 A$2.64

-44.86%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.46

$5.32 A$7.61

-67.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$9.57 A$13.69

79.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.39

$8.49 A$12.15

-60.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.5

$12.76 A$18.27

0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.51

$3.21 A$4.59

-32.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.65

$3.23 A$4.62

-46.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.96

$2.92 A$4.19

-33.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.23

$4.57 A$6.54

-63.24%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.63 A$3.77

-70.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.19 A$3.14

-57.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$2.61 A$3.74

-76.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.67 A$2.39

-65.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.60

$35.40 A$50.7

-89.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.1

$13.85 A$19.82

-21.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

$5.02 A$7.18

-83.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$5.40 A$7.72

-70.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$2.86 A$4.09

-79.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥202

$88.2 A$126

-65.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.77

$4.57 A$6.54

-54.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$2.10 A$3.00

-77.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.8

$26.47 A$37.87

-66.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.51

$1.23 A$1.76

3.25%

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

$19.6K ¥131.0K

$26.8K A$38.4K

-26.96%

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

$18.6K ¥124.2K

$39.0K A$55.8K

-52.37%

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

$57.2 ¥382

$222 A$318

-74.25%

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

$8.06 ¥53.8

$28.47 A$40.74

-71.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.3

$61.2 A$87.6

-82.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$49.19 A$70.4

31.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$20.12 A$28.80

-12.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$16.70 A$23.91

-47.07%

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

$1,437 ¥9,605

$2,010 A$2,876

-28.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.5K

$21.2K A$30.4K

32.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥365

$78.6 A$113

-30.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥243

$53.5 A$76.5

-31.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$107 A$153

-29.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥695

$127 A$182

-18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,945

$1,558 A$2,229

-33.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,933

$1,085 A$1,553

-45.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$2,106 A$3,014

18.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,268

$1,624 A$2,324

-23.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.8K

$5,240 A$7,499

159.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$4,884 A$6,989

26.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$3,240 A$4,637

-47.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

6.2

-45.81%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Devonport: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Devonport

$1.1K 45.2% 84.3% $496

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Devonport

$357 14.9% 50.6% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Devonport

$165 6.9% 35.4% $43

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Devonport

$285 11.9% 165% $178

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Devonport

$83 3.4% 0.4% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Devonport

$312 13% 311% $236

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Devonport

$115 4.8% 210% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,039 in Shanghai and $1,558 in Devonport. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Devonport pays 89% 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 $86.0 in Devonport for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $357 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Devonport

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

24,591

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Devonport 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Devonport

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 Devonport: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Devonport differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $2,526 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Devonport. 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: $1,039 in Shanghai versus $1,558 in Devonport. 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 $86.0 in Devonport. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Shanghai versus $2,526 in Devonport – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Shanghai versus $2,526 in Devonport, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Devonport. 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 Devonport 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 102% less than in Devonport. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.