Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,250 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,182

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Shanghai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sydney and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,182 in Sydney versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Sydney $3,182
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,696 in Sydney versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Sydney $4,696
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,210 in Sydney versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Sydney $6,210
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Sydney is roughly 155% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sydney is 137% above, Shanghai is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 A$25.37

$4.55 ¥30.45

288.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 A$139

$29.52 ¥198

228.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 A$17.15

$5.10 ¥34.13

134.12%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.75

$3.42 ¥22.92

16.96%

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

$2.84 A$4.07

$0.61 ¥4.12

365.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.26

$0.36 ¥2.41

530.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.33

$1.21 ¥8.08

552.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 A$10.24

$2.29 ¥15.33

211.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.39

$1.86 ¥12.48

-10.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 A$4.01

$2.01 ¥13.47

38.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.34

$1.02 ¥6.84

127.45%

Eggs

$5.53 A$7.94

$1.72 ¥11.48

221.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 A$17.35

$17.19 ¥115

-29.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 A$14.14

$3.35 ¥22.43

193.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 A$23.87

$12.80 ¥85.7

29.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.78

$2.17 ¥14.54

85.25%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$1.74 ¥11.67

81.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$5.03

$1.94 ¥12.99

80.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 A$6.42

$1.68 ¥11.25

166.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.77

$0.77 ¥5.18

331.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.31

$0.93 ¥6.22

147.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.37

$0.62 ¥4.17

277.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.66

$0.58 ¥3.88

98.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.02 A$64.7

$3.83 ¥25.64

1075.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.05

$10.94 ¥73.2

27.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 A$5.72

$0.84 ¥5.60

373.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.84

$1.60 ¥10.73

154.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 A$4.54

$0.59 ¥3.92

435.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$215

$30.27 ¥203

395.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 A$4.96

$2.06 ¥13.79

67.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.34

$0.47 ¥3.13

246.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.98 A$57.4

$8.80 ¥58.9

354.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$1.27 ¥8.53

10.24%

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

$28.4K A$40.8K

$19.6K ¥131.2K

45.03%

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

$29.4K A$42.2K

$18.6K ¥124.4K

58.27%

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

$220 A$316

$57.2 ¥383

284.22%

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

$27.70 A$39.79

$8.06 ¥53.9

243.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 A$79.8

$10.52 ¥70.4

427.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.3 A$107

$64.6 ¥433

14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.95 A$34.41

$17.63 ¥118

35.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.73 A$25.46

$8.84 ¥59.1

100.57%

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

$2,157 A$3,098

$1,437 ¥9,620

50.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K A$40.6K

$28.1K ¥187.9K

0.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$54.7 ¥366

43.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.5 A$101

$36.43 ¥244

93.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$75.4 ¥504

47.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$104 ¥696

26.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,514 A$3,612

$1,039 ¥6,956

141.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 A$2,487

$589 ¥3,940

194.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,889 A$7,022

$2,487 ¥16.6K

96.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 A$4,365

$1,237 ¥8,282

145.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$19.0K

$13.6K ¥90.9K

-2.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,117 A$11.7K

$6,191 ¥41.4K

31.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,082 A$5,864

$1,715 ¥11.5K

138.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

3.36

73.81%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.5%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 66% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$380 12%

Shanghai

$237 19% 37.7% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$303 9.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 75% $227

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.4%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 64.1% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.6%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 31% $55

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Shanghai

$37 3% 78.8% $137

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 25% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,514 in Sydney and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sydney pays 138% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $97.0 in Sydney vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $237 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

1 CNY = 0.149 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Sydney Shanghai 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Sydney vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sydney and Shanghai differ by about 155% in total monthly costs ($3,182 vs $1,250 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Sydney, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,514 in Sydney versus $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,157 in Sydney versus $1,437 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Sydney. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Shanghai versus $3,182 in Sydney, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Sydney. 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, Sydney and Shanghai 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 155% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.