Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Horsham

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,458 in Horsham, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Horsham
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Horsham Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Horsham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Horsham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,458 in Horsham.

Shanghai $1,244
Horsham $2,458

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $3,507 in Horsham.

Shanghai $1,999
Horsham $3,507

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,755 in Shanghai versus $4,557 in Horsham.

Shanghai $2,755
Horsham $4,557

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 8% below, Horsham is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ¥30.47

$13.71 A$19.73

-66.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.21 ¥202

$69.1 A$99.4

-56.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.25 ¥35.13

$12.34 A$17.76

-57.46%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ¥21.94

$3.55 A$5.10

-7.61%

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

$0.57 ¥3.84

$3.12 A$4.49

-81.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$2.03 A$2.93

-82.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$9.97 A$14.34

-87.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

$8.57 A$12.33

-73.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

$1.49 A$2.14

23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 ¥13.08

$2.96 A$4.27

-33.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.87

$2.54 A$3.65

-59.45%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.16

$5.56 A$8.00

-69.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

$10.59 A$15.25

60.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 ¥21.33

$10.03 A$14.43

-68.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 ¥86.3

$14.94 A$21.50

-13.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥15.00

$3.95 A$5.68

-43.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

$3.07 A$4.41

-45.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 ¥13.54

$3.20 A$4.60

-36.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.08

$4.64 A$6.67

-64.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.17

$3.05 A$4.38

-74.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.21

$2.58 A$3.71

-63.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.19

$2.45 A$3.53

-74.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

$1.58 A$2.28

-62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.80 ¥25.44

$45.07 A$64.9

-91.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 ¥72.7

$10.40 A$14.96

4.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$5.45 A$7.85

-84.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.76

$5.23 A$7.53

-69.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

$2.88 A$4.15

-78.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

$85.2 A$123

-65.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

$4.50 A$6.48

-53.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.87

$1.36 A$1.96

-68.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$29.41 A$42.32

-69.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.89

$1.37 A$1.97

-2.92%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

$28.3K A$40.7K

-32.81%

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

$26.8K A$38.5K

-30.08%

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

$57.8 ¥387

$234 A$337

-75.29%

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

$8.09 ¥54.1

$14.01 A$20.16

-42.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.48 ¥70.0

$51.4 A$74.0

-79.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ¥439

$56.2 A$80.9

16.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

$19.19 A$27.61

-7.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 ¥59.9

$15.50 A$22.31

-42.26%

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

$1,414 ¥9,451

$2,340 A$3,367

-39.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ¥186.2K

$29.6K A$42.6K

-5.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 ¥361

$80.9 A$116

-33.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.09 ¥248

$48.96 A$70.5

-24.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 ¥496

$121 A$174

-38.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 ¥706

$133 A$191

-20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

$1,230 A$1,770

-14.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

$1,134 A$1,632

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ¥16.6K

$2,100 A$3,022

18.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 ¥8,240

$1,697 A$2,441

-27.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

$6,279 A$9,036

121.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

$4,906 A$7,060

27.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

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 12, 2026

Last update for Horsham: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$585 47%

Horsham

$1.1K 46.2% 94% $550

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$235 18.9%

Horsham

$379 15.4% 61.6% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.8%

Horsham

$172 7% 41.4% $51

Eating Out

Shanghai

$106 8.5%

Horsham

$277 11.3% 161% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$84 6.7%

Horsham

$87 3.6% 4.3% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Horsham

$299 12.2% 292% $223

Getting Around

Shanghai

$36 2.9%

Horsham

$108 4.4% 199% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Shanghai and $1,230 in Horsham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $69.0 in Horsham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $379 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Horsham

🕒 Local time

00:15 12:15 AM

03:15 3:15 AM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

14,543

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Shanghai Horsham 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Horsham

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 Horsham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,865 in Shanghai and $3,686 in Horsham 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 $1,230 in Horsham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shanghai runs roughly 190% less than in Horsham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Shanghai versus $2,340 in Horsham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $2,458 in Horsham, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Horsham. 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 Horsham 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 98% less than in Horsham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.