Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Eden NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,359 in Eden NSW, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Eden NSW
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Eden NSW Living Index

Jump to prices

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Eden NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Eden NSW

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,359 in Eden NSW.

Shanghai $1,244
Eden NSW $2,359

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $3,467 in Eden NSW.

Shanghai $1,999
Eden NSW $3,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $4,575 in Eden NSW.

Shanghai $2,755
Eden NSW $4,575

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 47% less than in Eden NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Eden NSW is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$19.95 A$28.70

-77.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$82.0 A$118

-63.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$10.98 A$15.80

-52.19%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.53 A$5.08

-7.08%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$2.75 A$3.95

-79.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$2.56 A$3.68

-85.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$7.40 A$10.65

-83.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$7.73 A$11.12

-70.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.50 A$2.15

22.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$2.33 A$3.35

-15.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.43 A$3.50

-57.61%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$4.83 A$6.95

-65.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.25 A$14.75

65.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$8.24 A$11.86

-61.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.28 A$20.55

-9.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.32 A$4.78

-32.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$2.78 A$4.00

-40.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$3.40 A$4.89

-40.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.97 A$7.15

-66.60%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.46 A$3.55

-68.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.66 A$3.83

-65.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.71 A$3.91

-76.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.65 A$2.37

-63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$35.82 A$51.5

-89.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$14.64 A$21.06

-25.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$4.75 A$6.83

-82.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$4.78 A$6.87

-66.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.97 A$4.28

-79.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$81.5 A$117

-63.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$3.59 A$5.16

-41.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.45 A$2.09

-70.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$44.96 A$64.7

-79.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.24 A$1.79

7.26%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$26.5K A$38.1K

-28.23%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$29.2K A$42.0K

-35.91%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$206 A$296

-71.93%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$31.31 A$45.05

-74.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$52.8 A$76.0

-80.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$63.4 A$91.2

3.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$18.86 A$27.14

-5.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$15.09 A$21.72

-40.69%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$1,852 A$2,665

-23.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$18.0K A$25.9K

54.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$87.5 A$126

-38.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$61.1 A$87.9

-39.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$108 A$155

-31.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$133 A$191

-20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$1,329 A$1,912

-20.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$1,028 A$1,479

-43.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$2,464 A$3,545

0.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$1,602 A$2,305

-23.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$5,593 A$8,048

149.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$4,955 A$7,131

26.18%

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 Eden NSW: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Eden NSW

$1K 43.6% 75.8% $443

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Eden NSW

$360 15.3% 53.2% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Eden NSW

$175 7.4% 43.5% $53

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Eden NSW

$309 13.1% 191% $202

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Eden NSW

$94 4% 11.9% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Eden NSW

$290 12.3% 280% $214

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Eden NSW

$104 4.4% 189% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $1,329 in Eden NSW. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $82.0 in Eden NSW for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $360 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Eden NSW

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

02:56 2:56 AM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

3,118

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Eden NSW 8,150 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Eden NSW

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 Eden NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Shanghai and $3,538 in Eden NSW to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Shanghai versus $1,329 in Eden NSW. 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 $82.0 in Eden NSW. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Shanghai versus $2,359 in Eden NSW – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,359 in Eden NSW, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Eden NSW. 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 Eden NSW 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 90% less than in Eden NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.