Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Epping

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $2,717 in Epping, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Epping
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Epping Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Epping

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Epping

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Shanghai versus $2,717 in Epping.

Shanghai $1,250
Epping $2,717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Shanghai versus $3,754 in Epping.

Shanghai $2,019
Epping $3,754

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,789 in Shanghai versus $4,791 in Epping.

Shanghai $2,789
Epping $4,791

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 54% less than in Epping, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 7% below, Epping is 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$12.68 A$18.21

-64.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$63.1 A$90.6

-53.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$11.43 A$16.42

-55.38%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$3.21 A$4.61

6.54%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$2.45 A$3.51

-75.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$2.51 A$3.61

-85.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$8.30 A$11.92

-85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$8.32 A$11.95

-72.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$1.60 A$2.30

16.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$2.80 A$4.02

-28.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$2.78 A$3.99

-63.31%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$5.59 A$8.03

-69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$10.13 A$14.56

69.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$9.57 A$13.74

-64.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$14.99 A$21.52

-14.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$3.72 A$5.34

-41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$2.87 A$4.12

-39.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$2.45 A$3.52

-20.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$3.58 A$5.15

-53.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$3.04 A$4.37

-74.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$2.43 A$3.49

-61.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$1.97 A$2.83

-68.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.60 A$2.29

-63.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$27.60 A$39.64

-86.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$8.37 A$12.02

30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$4.48 A$6.43

-81.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$4.84 A$6.95

-66.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$3.59 A$5.16

-83.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$94.3 A$135

-67.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.55 A$5.10

-41.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$1.16 A$1.67

-59.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$28.13 A$40.40

-68.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$1.43 A$2.05

-11.19%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$21.2K A$30.4K

-7.40%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$18.3K A$26.2K

1.74%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$142 A$204

-59.63%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$28.25 A$40.57

-71.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$46.91 A$67.4

-77.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$55.5 A$79.8

16.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$17.85 A$25.64

-1.23%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$14.06 A$20.19

-37.13%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$1,801 A$2,587

-20.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$22.2K A$32.0K

26.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$62.4 A$89.7

-12.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$49.94 A$71.7

-27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$111 A$160

-32.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$104 A$150

-0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$1,482 A$2,129

-29.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$1,489 A$2,139

-60.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$2,342 A$3,364

6.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$2,190 A$3,146

-43.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$5,891 A$8,461

130.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$5,001 A$7,184

23.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$4,231 A$6,077

-59.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.5

-38.91%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Last update for Epping: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Epping

$1.5K 56% 153% $901

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Epping

$354 13.3% 49.5% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Epping

$148 5.6% 21.4% $26

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Epping

$252 9.5% 135% $145

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Epping

$84 3.1% 1.6% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Epping

$217 8.2% 186% $141

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Epping

$118 4.4% 219% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,039 in Shanghai and $1,482 in Epping. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Epping pays 147% 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 $63.0 in Epping for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $354 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Epping

🕒 Local time

12:49 12:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

23,435

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Epping 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Epping

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 Epping: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Epping. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 147% lower in Epping. 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 $1,482 in Epping. 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 $63.0 in Epping. 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 $2,717 in Epping – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Shanghai versus $2,717 in Epping, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Epping. 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 Epping 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 117% less than in Epping. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.