Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Mildura

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $2,312 in Mildura, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Mildura
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Mildura Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Mildura

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Mildura

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

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Shanghai vs $2,312 in Mildura, rent included.

Shanghai $1,250
Mildura $2,312

A couple spends around $2,019 per month in Shanghai vs $3,621 in Mildura, rent included.

Shanghai $2,019
Mildura $3,621

A family of three spends $2,789 per month in Shanghai vs $4,931 in Mildura, rent included.

Shanghai $2,789
Mildura $4,931

Shanghai is about 46% cheaper than Mildura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 7% below the global median, while Mildura is 73% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ¥30.45

$15.41 A$22.14

-70.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.52 ¥198

$106 A$153

-72.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 ¥34.13

$11.35 A$16.30

-55.07%

Cappuccino

$3.42 ¥22.92

$3.54 A$5.08

-3.39%

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

$0.61 ¥4.12

$2.64 A$3.79

-76.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.41

$2.66 A$3.82

-86.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.08

$6.20 A$8.91

-80.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.33

$6.69 A$9.60

-65.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.48

$2.14 A$3.08

-13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 ¥13.47

$2.77 A$3.98

-27.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.84

$2.24 A$3.21

-54.46%

Eggs

$1.72 ¥11.48

$8.14 A$11.69

-78.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.19 ¥115

$9.72 A$13.97

76.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.35 ¥22.43

$9.35 A$13.44

-64.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 ¥85.7

$15.03 A$21.60

-14.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 ¥14.54

$3.80 A$5.45

-42.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 ¥11.67

$3.08 A$4.42

-43.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.99

$3.29 A$4.72

-41.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$4.81 A$6.90

-65.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.18

$2.41 A$3.46

-68.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.22

$2.37 A$3.40

-60.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 ¥4.17

$2.35 A$3.38

-73.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$1.65 A$2.37

-64.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.64

$38.48 A$55.3

-90.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.94 ¥73.2

$14.19 A$20.38

-22.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$4.87 A$6.99

-82.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.73

$5.48 A$7.87

-70.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ¥3.92

$2.96 A$4.25

-80.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.27 ¥203

$82.1 A$118

-63.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.54 A$5.08

-41.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ¥3.13

$1.58 A$2.27

-70.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ¥58.9

$40.99 A$58.9

-78.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.53

$1.28 A$1.83

-0.78%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$27.2K A$39.1K

-27.99%

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

$18.6K ¥124.4K

$29.8K A$42.8K

-37.68%

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

$57.2 ¥383

$211 A$303

-72.85%

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

$8.06 ¥53.9

$27.72 A$39.82

-70.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.52 ¥70.4

$57.1 A$82.1

-81.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥433

$56.7 A$81.4

14.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.63 ¥118

$17.92 A$25.74

-1.62%

Cinema Ticket

$8.84 ¥59.1

$15.63 A$22.46

-43.44%

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

$1,437 ¥9,620

$2,187 A$3,141

-34.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K ¥187.9K

$20.6K A$29.7K

35.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 ¥366

$75.6 A$109

-27.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 ¥244

$53.8 A$77.2

-32.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥504

$108 A$156

-30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥696

$122 A$175

-14.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 ¥6,956

$1,393 A$2,000

-25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 ¥3,940

$1,034 A$1,485

-43.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ¥16.6K

$2,260 A$3,247

10.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 ¥8,282

$1,801 A$2,587

-31.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.6K ¥90.9K

$5,757 A$8,269

135.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,191 ¥41.4K

$5,028 A$7,222

23.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$3,500 A$5,027

-50.99%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Mildura: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$589 47.1%

Mildura

$1K 44.2% 75.6% $445

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$237 19%

Mildura

$391 16.7% 65.2% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Mildura

$162 6.9% 33% $40

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.6%

Mildura

$265 11.3% 147% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$82 6.6%

Mildura

$88 3.8% 6.9% $5.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6.1%

Mildura

$296 12.6% 290% $220

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Mildura

$105 4.5% 185% $68

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,039 in Shanghai versus $1,393 in Mildura. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 104% higher in Mildura, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $106 in Mildura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $237 vs $391 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Mildura

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

34,565

💱 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 = 7.5 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 Mildura 7,590 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Mildura

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 Mildura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mildura is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,874 per month in Shanghai and $3,468 in Mildura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 171% less in Shanghai. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,437 per month in Shanghai and $2,187 in Mildura. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Mildura at $2,312. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mildura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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