Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zhoushan and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Zhoushan: $620 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $30,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Zhoushan
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Zhoushan Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Zhoushan

🇨🇳 China

$620

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zhoushan and in Sydney

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

A single person spends $620 per month in Zhoushan vs $3,152 in Sydney, rent included.

Zhoushan $620
Sydney $3,152

A couple spends around $1,005 per month in Zhoushan vs $4,710 in Sydney, rent included.

Zhoushan $1,005
Sydney $4,710

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Zhoushan vs $6,268 in Sydney, rent included.

Zhoushan $1,390
Sydney $6,268

Zhoushan is about 80% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Zhoushan sits 54% below the global median, while Sydney is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.39 ¥22.63

$17.57 A$25.29

-80.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.03 ¥127

$91.5 A$132

-79.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.07 ¥27.24

$11.96 A$17.21

-65.97%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥19.74

$4.07 A$5.85

-27.52%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$2.85 A$4.10

-83.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.66

$2.25 A$3.24

-88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.15

$7.60 A$10.94

-89.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.32

$7.43 A$10.69

-75.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ¥12.26

$1.66 A$2.38

10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 ¥13.87

$2.78 A$4.00

-25.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$2.42 A$3.49

-63.22%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.07

$5.64 A$8.12

-81.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 ¥89.2

$11.71 A$16.85

14.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 ¥23.45

$9.66 A$13.89

-63.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ¥73.3

$16.75 A$24.10

-34.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.26

$4.07 A$5.85

-62.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.17

$3.25 A$4.68

-62.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.72

$3.44 A$4.96

-57.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$4.28 A$6.16

-71.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$3.28 A$4.72

-82.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.42

$2.30 A$3.30

-64.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.23

$2.30 A$3.31

-72.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.90

$1.21 A$1.74

-52.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 ¥35.45

$43.71 A$62.9

-87.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 ¥78.9

$13.88 A$19.97

-14.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥5.89

$3.90 A$5.62

-77.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.34

$3.91 A$5.63

-45.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$3.04 A$4.38

-89.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.13 ¥101

$150 A$216

-89.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$3.38 A$4.86

-57.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.81

$1.56 A$2.24

-73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.91 ¥59.6

$40.01 A$57.6

-77.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.13

$1.40 A$2.01

-12.86%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-33.36%

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

$16.4K ¥109.7K

$30.1K A$43.4K

-45.55%

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

$36.17 ¥242

$223 A$320

-83.75%

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

$11.52 ¥77.0

$27.16 A$39.08

-57.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.25 ¥182

$55.8 A$80.3

-51.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 ¥169

$74.6 A$107

-66.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.45 ¥49.79

$23.99 A$34.52

-68.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.10

$17.56 A$25.27

-66.69%

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

$440 ¥2,942

$2,196 A$3,160

-79.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K ¥108.7K

$28.2K A$40.6K

-42.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.64 ¥232

$78.4 A$113

-55.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.10 ¥141

$68.4 A$98.5

-69.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 ¥437

$111 A$160

-41.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.10 ¥295

$134 A$193

-67.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,197

$2,500 A$3,598

-86.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$119 ¥797

$1,709 A$2,460

-93.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 ¥4,979

$4,946 A$7,117

-84.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,827

$3,022 A$4,349

-90.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,953 ¥19.7K

$13.2K A$18.9K

-77.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,009 ¥13.4K

$8,370 A$12.0K

-76.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$589 ¥3,935

$4,113 A$5,919

-85.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.84

-46.40%

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

Last update for Zhoushan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zhoushan

$209 33.8%

Sydney

$379 12% 80.8% $169

Accommodation & Living

Zhoushan

$119 19.2%

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2% 1334% $1.6K

Eating Out

Zhoushan

$85 13.7%

Sydney

$299 9.5% 251% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zhoushan

$75 12.1%

Sydney

$306 9.7% 308% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Zhoushan

$74 12%

Sydney

$177 5.6% 138% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Zhoushan

$37 6%

Sydney

$110 3.5% 197% $73

Getting Around

Zhoushan

$20 3.2%

Sydney

$174 5.5% 770% $154

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $329 in Zhoushan versus $2,500 in Sydney. 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 599% higher in Sydney, 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 $19.00 in Zhoushan versus $91.0 in Sydney. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $379 – making Zhoushan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Zhoushan

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

17:01 5:01 PM

3 h ahead of Zhoushan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,157,817

4,840,600

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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 →

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Between locations

Zhoushan Sydney 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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Zhoushan
Sydney

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

Zhoushan vs Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $620 in Zhoushan, $3,152 in Sydney – roughly 408% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $930 per month in Zhoushan and $4,728 in Sydney. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Zhoushan and $91.0 in Sydney. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $620 in Zhoushan and $3,152 in Sydney. That's a gap of about 408%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zhoushan, where all-in costs run around $620, than in Sydney at $3,152. In Zhoushan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zhoushan – 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 Zhoushan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.