Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shanghai and Penshurst, NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,256 a month against $2,478 in Penshurst, NSW, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Penshurst, NSW
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Penshurst, NSW Living Index

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Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Penshurst, NSW

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,478

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shanghai and in Penshurst, NSW

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Shanghai versus $2,478 in Penshurst, NSW.

Shanghai $1,256
Penshurst, NSW $2,478

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Shanghai versus $3,587 in Penshurst, NSW.

Shanghai $1,999
Penshurst, NSW $3,587

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,743 in Shanghai versus $4,696 in Penshurst, NSW.

Shanghai $2,743
Penshurst, NSW $4,696

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 7% below, Penshurst, NSW is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 ¥29.78

$17.72 A$25.50

-74.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.29 ¥203

$84.1 A$121

-63.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 ¥34.01

$10.31 A$14.84

-50.63%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.96

$4.08 A$5.87

-15.93%

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

$0.62 ¥4.15

$2.89 A$4.16

-78.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ¥2.58

$2.24 A$3.22

-82.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 ¥8.25

$7.80 A$11.23

-84.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.81

$7.43 A$10.70

-70.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.37

$1.56 A$2.25

18.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 ¥13.02

$2.63 A$3.79

-25.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$2.22 A$3.19

-54.95%

Eggs

$1.71 ¥11.43

$4.96 A$7.14

-65.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

$9.02 A$12.99

93.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 ¥21.66

$9.17 A$13.20

-64.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.8

$14.85 A$21.37

-12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 ¥14.98

$3.85 A$5.53

-41.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.25

$2.98 A$4.29

-43.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 ¥13.03

$3.27 A$4.71

-40.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.60

$4.53 A$6.52

-61.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.10

$2.73 A$3.93

-72.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.40 A$3.46

-61.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.41

$2.36 A$3.39

-72.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.00

$1.55 A$2.22

-61.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.65

$41.48 A$59.7

-91.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 ¥73.0

$14.09 A$20.28

-22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥5.85

$4.78 A$6.87

-81.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.87

$5.13 A$7.38

-68.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.13

$2.82 A$4.06

-78.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

$81.9 A$118

-62.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.79

$3.42 A$4.92

-39.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.08

$1.58 A$2.27

-70.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.1

$39.61 A$57.0

-77.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.35 A$1.95

-1.48%

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

$19.3K ¥128.7K

$27.1K A$39.0K

-28.87%

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

$18.2K ¥122.0K

$29.2K A$42.1K

-37.58%

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

$57.1 ¥382

$204 A$293

-71.95%

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

$8.07 ¥53.9

$27.94 A$40.20

-71.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$56.4 A$81.2

-81.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

$55.3 A$79.6

16.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

$17.31 A$24.91

-0.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.5

$14.86 A$21.39

-39.10%

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

$1,441 ¥9,638

$2,170 A$3,123

-33.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.4K

$20.0K A$28.8K

41.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 ¥358

$77.5 A$112

-30.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.05 ¥248

$53.1 A$76.4

-30.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥515

$106 A$153

-27.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 ¥694

$120 A$173

-13.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

$1,365 A$1,964

-25.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

$1,179 A$1,697

-49.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

$2,117 A$3,047

21.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

$1,782 A$2,565

-31.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.4K

$5,918 A$8,517

128.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.8K

$4,848 A$6,977

28.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

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 18, 2026

Last update for Penshurst, NSW: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Penshurst, NSW

$1.2K 47.6% 98.6% $586

Groceries & Markets

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Penshurst, NSW

$364 14.7% 53.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Penshurst, NSW

$161 6.5% 31.6% $39

Eating Out

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Penshurst, NSW

$296 12% 178% $189

Sport & Entertainment

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Penshurst, NSW

$85 3.4% 2.8% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shanghai

$76 6%

Penshurst, NSW

$288 11.6% 280% $212

Getting Around

Shanghai

$37 3%

Penshurst, NSW

$105 4.2% 181% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,023 in Shanghai and $1,365 in Penshurst, NSW. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30.00 in Shanghai vs $84.0 in Penshurst, NSW for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 vs $364 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🇦🇺 Penshurst, NSW

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

3 h ahead of Shanghai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,870,895

12,673

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 Penshurst, NSW 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Shanghai
Penshurst, NSW

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 Penshurst, NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Shanghai and $3,717 in Penshurst, NSW 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: $1,023 in Shanghai versus $1,365 in Penshurst, NSW. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Shanghai versus $2,478 in Penshurst, NSW – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shanghai runs roughly 170% less than in Penshurst, NSW. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Shanghai versus $2,478 in Penshurst, NSW, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Penshurst, NSW. 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 Penshurst, NSW 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 97% less than in Penshurst, NSW. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.