Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Lihir Island

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Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Lihir Island

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

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

$57.1 ¥382

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lihir Island: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Lihir Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Lihir Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Lihir Island

–

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Lihir Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Lihir Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Lihir Island

–

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Lihir Island

–

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇵🇬 Lihir Island

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

07:46 7:46 AM

2 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 PGK = 0.228 USD

1 PGK = 0.203 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PGK, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.38 PGK (1 PGK = 0.228 USD). 1 EUR = 4.92 PGK (1 PGK = 0.203 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Shanghai Lihir Island 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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Lihir Island

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 Lihir Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Lihir Island – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lihir Island. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.