Shanghai vs Sydney - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Sydney
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1097
$2539
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3454
$6160
🏠 One person rent
$577
$1496
🏘️ Family rent
$1404
$2729
🍽️ Food expenses
$287
$522
🚐 Transport expenses
$110
$374
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1644
$4315
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
100
😀 Quality of life
78
100
🏙️ Population
24.9M
4.84M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 57% less expensive than in Sydney. Cities ranked 4858th and 745th ($1097 vs $2539) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 6th and 1st in China and Australia, respectively. Check China vs Australia comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.5 months in Shanghai compared to 1.7 months in Sydney. Shanghai ranked 4th best city to live in China vs Sydney ranked 2nd in Australia, while ranked 675th and 2nd among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

Cost of living in Shanghai vs Sydney infographic

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Prices in Shanghai vs Sydney

Prices for goods and services in Shanghai and Sydney are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Shanghai Sydney
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$4.55
$13.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$39.8
$66
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.4
$9.73
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.45
$7.29
☕ Cappuccino
$3.93
$3.32
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.52
$2.55
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$823
$1823
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$455
$1225
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2226
$3607
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1115
$2246
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$33.5
$106
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$51.6
$165
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$14.8
$45.3
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
3.83%
6.4%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$14361
$13272
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8086
$7795
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.55
$3.19
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$34.1
$133
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$5.85
$26.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.13
$1.25
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.2
$1.55
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.95
$2.26
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.35
$2.06
🥚 Eggs, x12
$1.84
$4.76
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.5
$10.8
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.29
$8.32
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$10.9
$13
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.25
$3.11
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.64
$2.65
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.81
$3.13
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.54
$3.84
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.86
$2.34
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.12
$2.24
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.37
$0.87
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.26
$2.41
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$12.2
$13.7
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.84
$4.35
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.39
$28.2
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.38
$6.73
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$6.95
$5.01
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.68
$2.66
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.27
$2.67
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55.8
$55.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.1
$15.1
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$87.9
$58.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.1
$20.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$60.7
$80.3
👟 Brand Sneakers
$75.8
$108
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1181
$1992
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$30174
$17957

Cost of living in other countries

ShanghaiSydney

Cost of living

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Shanghai

Distance City Cost of living
9.4 km or 5.8 mi Pudong
$984
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$665
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$700
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$701
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$868
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$573
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$631
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$645
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$602
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$640
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$670
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$670
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$657
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$590
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$708
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$643
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$716
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$695
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$702
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$644
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$805
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$636
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$643
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$654
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$603
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$650
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$607
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$644
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$665
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$522
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$620
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$621
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$642
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$677
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$665
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$592
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$661
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$672
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$621
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$746

Cities near Sydney

Distance City Cost of living
15 km or 9.2 mi Dee Why
$2099
19 km or 12 mi Parramatta
$2252
29 km or 18 mi Kellyville
$1824
29 km or 18 mi Blacktown
$1584
69 km or 43 mi Wollongong
$1416
117 km or 73 mi Newcastle
$1448
158 km or 98 mi Bathurst
$1538
168 km or 104 mi Goulburn
$1616
205 km or 127 mi Orange
$1511
247 km or 154 mi Canberra
$2023
301 km or 187 mi Dubbo
$1702
314 km or 195 mi Port Macquarie
$1681
377 km or 234 mi Armidale
$1185
378 km or 235 mi Wagga Wagga
$1457
436 km or 271 mi Coffs Harbour
$1963
478 km or 297 mi Griffith
$1619
597 km or 371 mi Shepparton
$1601
624 km or 388 mi Byron Bay
$1781
638 km or 396 mi Traralgon
$1727
683 km or 425 mi Gold Coast
$2239
689 km or 428 mi Southport
$2067
695 km or 432 mi Pakenham
$1654
701 km or 436 mi Berwick
$1643
706 km or 439 mi Bendigo
$1291
706 km or 439 mi Toowoomba
$1504
707 km or 439 mi Dandenong
$1645
711 km or 442 mi Ipswich
$1677
711 km or 442 mi Cranbourne
$1600
713 km or 443 mi South Yarra
$1620
713 km or 443 mi Melbourne
$2194
716 km or 445 mi Sunbury
$1691
724 km or 450 mi Frankston
$1671
732 km or 455 mi Melton
$1668
733 km or 455 mi Brisbane
$2016
735 km or 457 mi Tarneit
$1625
736 km or 457 mi Hoppers Crossing
$1635
775 km or 481 mi Caboolture
$1748
778 km or 484 mi Geelong
$1981
779 km or 484 mi Ballarat
$1390
807 km or 502 mi Caloundra
$1683