Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Double Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,632 in Double Bay, 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Double Bay
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Double Bay Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Double Bay

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,632

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Double Bay

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $2,632 in Double Bay, rent included.

Shanghai $1,244
Double Bay $2,632

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $3,645 in Double Bay, rent included.

Shanghai $1,999
Double Bay $3,645

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $4,658 in Double Bay, rent included.

Shanghai $2,755
Double Bay $4,658

Shanghai is about 53% cheaper than Double Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 8% below the global median, while Double Bay is 95% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.45

$17.07 A$24.46

-73.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$88.3 A$127

-65.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.10

$10.63 A$15.23

-50.61%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.92

$3.91 A$5.61

-16.11%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$2.86 A$4.09

-80.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$2.26 A$3.24

-84.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.22

$7.59 A$10.87

-83.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.17

$7.38 A$10.57

-69.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.29

$1.52 A$2.18

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.07

$2.91 A$4.16

-32.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.41 A$3.46

-57.26%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$5.32 A$7.62

-68.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$11.84 A$16.96

43.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.31

$9.71 A$13.91

-67.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.2

$15.05 A$21.55

-14.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.99

$3.89 A$5.57

-42.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.12

$3.06 A$4.38

-45.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.53

$3.40 A$4.87

-40.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$4.46 A$6.39

-62.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.05 A$4.37

-74.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.41 A$3.45

-61.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.26 A$3.23

-72.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.98

$1.17 A$1.67

-48.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.42

$45.16 A$64.7

-91.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.6

$14.16 A$20.29

-23.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$4.01 A$5.75

-79.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$3.93 A$5.63

-59.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.59 A$3.71

-76.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

$91.5 A$131

-67.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.10

$3.44 A$4.93

-38.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$1.63 A$2.34

-73.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$39.42 A$56.5

-77.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.88

$1.37 A$1.96

-2.92%

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

$19.0K ¥127.1K

$27.2K A$38.9K

-30.00%

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

$18.7K ¥125.0K

$30.2K A$43.2K

-38.03%

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

$57.8 ¥386

$179 A$256

-67.71%

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

$8.09 ¥54.0

$26.22 A$37.56

-69.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$55.2 A$79.0

-81.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$57.9 A$82.9

13.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$20.07 A$28.76

-11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.8

$15.47 A$22.16

-42.15%

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

$1,414 ¥9,444

$2,224 A$3,186

-36.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.1K

$20.4K A$29.3K

36.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$77.3 A$111

-30.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$56.5 A$80.9

-34.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$109 A$156

-31.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥705

$133 A$190

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,050

$1,561 A$2,236

-32.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,906

$1,340 A$1,920

-56.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$1,907 A$2,731

30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,233

$1,697 A$2,431

-27.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.0K

$5,994 A$8,586

132.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$4,428 A$6,344

41.20%

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 Double Bay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Double Bay

$1.3K 50.9% 129% $755

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Double Bay

$371 14.1% 58.2% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Double Bay

$169 6.4% 38.6% $47

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Double Bay

$289 11% 172% $183

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Double Bay

$89 3.4% 6.3% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Double Bay

$260 9.9% 241% $184

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Double Bay

$113 4.3% 214% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $1,561 in Double Bay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $88.0 in Double Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $371 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Double Bay

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

4,651

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.46 CNY (1 CNY = 0.134 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Double Bay 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Double Bay

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 Double Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Double Bay is pricier by about 112%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $3,947 in Double Bay. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai and $88.0 in Double Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Shanghai and $2,632 in Double Bay. That's a gap of about 112%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Double Bay at $2,632. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Double Bay 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, Double Bay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.