Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Ormond, VIC

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $2,365 in Ormond, VIC, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Shanghai
🇨🇳 China
$1,244
/mo nomad
Ormond, VIC
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,365
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Ormond, VIC

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Shanghai vs $2,365 in Ormond, VIC, rent included.

  • Shanghai $1,244
  • Ormond, VIC $2,365

A couple spends around $1,999 per month in Shanghai vs $3,588 in Ormond, VIC, rent included.

  • Shanghai $1,999
  • Ormond, VIC $3,588

A family of three spends $2,755 per month in Shanghai vs $4,811 in Ormond, VIC, rent included.

  • Shanghai $2,755
  • Ormond, VIC $4,811

Shanghai is about 47% cheaper than Ormond, VIC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Shanghai sits 8% below the global median, while Ormond, VIC is 75% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.56 ¥30.47
$17.71 A$25.49
-74.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.21 ¥202
$84.1 A$121
-64.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.25 ¥35.13
$12.28 A$17.67
-57.25%
Cappuccino
$3.28 ¥21.94
$3.44 A$4.95
-4.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 ¥3.84
$3.16 A$4.54
-81.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 ¥2.39
$2.54 A$3.66
-85.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.23 ¥8.23
$4.79 A$6.89
-74.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 ¥15.18
$4.20 A$6.04
-45.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 ¥12.30
$1.51 A$2.18
21.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.96 ¥13.08
$2.84 A$4.09
-30.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ¥6.87
$2.66 A$3.83
-61.28%
Eggs
$1.67 ¥11.16
$3.89 A$5.60
-57.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.96 ¥113
$10.59 A$15.25
60.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.19 ¥21.33
$8.40 A$12.08
-62.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.90 ¥86.3
$15.02 A$21.62
-14.11%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 ¥15.00
$4.02 A$5.78
-44.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 ¥11.13
$2.07 A$2.98
-19.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.02 ¥13.54
$3.11 A$4.48
-35.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 ¥11.08
$4.07 A$5.85
-59.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 ¥5.17
$3.00 A$4.32
-74.33%
Onion (1kg)
$0.93 ¥6.21
$2.15 A$3.09
-56.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ¥4.19
$2.36 A$3.39
-73.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.60 ¥3.99
$1.63 A$2.35
-63.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.80 ¥25.44
$35.29 A$50.8
-89.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.87 ¥72.7
$12.48 A$17.96
-12.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥5.51
$4.25 A$6.12
-80.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 ¥10.76
$5.03 A$7.23
-67.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.61 ¥4.11
$3.09 A$4.45
-80.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.40 ¥197
$76.4 A$110
-61.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.11 ¥14.11
$4.33 A$6.23
-51.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 ¥2.87
$1.42 A$2.04
-69.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.06 ¥60.6
$30.27 A$43.56
-70.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ¥8.89
$1.41 A$2.03
-5.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.0K ¥127.2K
$28.1K A$40.4K
-32.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.7K ¥125.1K
$26.7K A$38.5K
-30.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.8 ¥387
$230 A$330
-74.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.09 ¥54.1
$13.96 A$20.09
-42.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$10.48 ¥70.0
$52.5 A$75.5
-80.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$65.7 ¥439
$63.7 A$91.7
3.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.82 ¥119
$17.51 A$25.19
1.77%
Cinema Ticket
$8.95 ¥59.9
$12.66 A$18.22
-29.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,414 ¥9,451
$2,386 A$3,433
-40.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.9K ¥186.2K
$30.4K A$43.8K
-8.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.0 ¥361
$80.4 A$116
-32.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.09 ¥248
$49.19 A$70.8
-24.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.3 ¥496
$118 A$171
-37.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 ¥706
$134 A$194
-21.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 ¥7,056
$1,389 A$1,999
-24.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$585 ¥3,910
$1,080 A$1,554
-45.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,485 ¥16.6K
$1,849 A$2,661
34.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,232 ¥8,240
$1,946 A$2,800
-36.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.9K ¥93.1K
$5,143 A$7,401
170.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,253 ¥41.8K
$5,500 A$7,914
13.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Shanghai
Ormond, VIC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,711 ¥11.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.36
5.9
-43.05%

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

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ormond, VIC: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Shanghai
$585
Ormond, VIC
$1.1K 84.7% $495
Groceries & Markets
Shanghai
$235
Ormond, VIC
$352 50.1% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Shanghai
$122
Ormond, VIC
$172 41.2% $50
Eating Out
Shanghai
$106
Ormond, VIC
$275 159% $169
Sport & Entertainment
Shanghai
$84
Ormond, VIC
$89 6.5% $5.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Shanghai
$76
Ormond, VIC
$296 288% $220
Getting Around
Shanghai
$36
Ormond, VIC
$100 177% $64

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Shanghai versus $1,389 in Ormond, VIC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Shanghai versus $84.0 in Ormond, VIC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $235 vs $352 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇳 Shanghai
🇦🇺 Ormond, VIC
🕒 Local time
01:54 1:54 AM
04:54 4:54 AM
3 h ahead of Shanghai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
24,870,895
8,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Shanghai Ormond, VIC 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Shanghai
  • Ormond, VIC

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 Ormond, VIC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ormond, VIC cheaper than Shanghai?
Yes – Ormond, VIC is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,865 per month in Shanghai and $3,547 in Ormond, VIC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,414 per month in Shanghai and $2,386 in Ormond, VIC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Shanghai and in Ormond, VIC?
Groceries cost about 50% more in Ormond, VIC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Shanghai or in Ormond, VIC?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Ormond, VIC at $2,365. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ormond, VIC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Shanghai or Ormond, VIC more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Shanghai or Ormond, VIC?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ormond, VIC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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