Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Grafton

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,437 in Grafton, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Grafton
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Grafton Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Grafton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Grafton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,437 in Grafton.

Shanghai $1,244
Grafton $2,437

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $3,470 in Grafton.

Shanghai $1,999
Grafton $3,470

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $4,504 in Grafton.

Shanghai $2,755
Grafton $4,504

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Grafton is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$17.31 A$24.90

-73.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$70.8 A$102

-57.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$11.35 A$16.33

-53.74%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.28 A$4.72

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$2.74 A$3.95

-79.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$2.51 A$3.61

-85.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$8.37 A$12.05

-85.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$8.55 A$12.30

-73.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.14 A$1.64

61.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$2.72 A$3.91

-27.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.29 A$3.29

-55.02%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$3.65 A$5.25

-54.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$8.99 A$12.94

88.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$7.74 A$11.14

-58.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.00 A$20.15

-7.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$2.84 A$4.09

-21.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$1.36 A$1.96

22.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$3.03 A$4.36

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.80 A$6.90

-65.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$2.07 A$2.98

-62.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.19 A$3.15

-57.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$1.76 A$2.53

-64.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.12 A$1.61

-46.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$29.96 A$43.12

-87.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$12.62 A$18.16

-13.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$5.23 A$7.52

-84.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$5.04 A$7.25

-68.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$3.05 A$4.40

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$92.3 A$133

-68.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$2.95 A$4.24

-28.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.86 A$2.68

-76.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$40.63 A$58.5

-77.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.31 A$1.89

1.53%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$27.4K A$39.4K

-30.56%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$24.2K A$34.8K

-22.62%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$158 A$227

-63.40%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$25.90 A$37.26

-68.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$48.09 A$69.2

-78.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$55.4 A$79.7

18.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$16.55 A$23.82

7.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$11.76 A$16.92

-23.89%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$680 A$978

107.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$3,086 A$4,441

802.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$81.6 A$117

-33.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$43.48 A$62.6

-14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$111 A$159

-32.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$111 A$159

-4.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$1,361 A$1,959

-22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$1,241 A$1,786

-52.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$2,021 A$2,908

22.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$1,834 A$2,638

-32.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$5,426 A$7,808

156.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$4,449 A$6,403

40.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

$2,426 A$3,492

-29.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

5.81

-42.17%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Grafton: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Grafton

$1.2K 50.9% 112% $656

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Grafton

$321 13.2% 36.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Grafton

$156 6.4% 27.8% $34

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Grafton

$292 12% 175% $186

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Grafton

$79 3.2% 5.6% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Grafton

$232 9.5% 204% $156

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Grafton

$117 4.8% 223% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $1,361 in Grafton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grafton pays 42% 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 $71.0 in Grafton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $321 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Grafton

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

11:08 11:08 AM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

19,255

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 →

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Between locations

Shanghai Grafton 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Grafton

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 Grafton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai and Grafton differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $2,437 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Grafton. 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 $1,361 in Grafton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Grafton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $71.0 in Grafton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,437 in Grafton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Grafton. 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 Grafton 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 96% less than in Grafton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.