Shanghai vs Sydney - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Sydney
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1190
$2741
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3757
$6649
🏠 One person rent
$635
$1620
🏘️ Family rent
$1613
$3006
🍽️ Food expenses
$308
$559
🚐 Transport expenses
$117
$408
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1455
$3743
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
99
😀 Quality of life
78
98
🏙️ Population
24.9M
4.84M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 57% less expensive than in Sydney. Cities ranked 4461st and 318th ($1190 vs $2741) 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 1.2 months in Shanghai compared to 1.4 months in Sydney. Shanghai ranked 4th best city to live in China vs Sydney ranked 2nd in Australia, while ranked 558th and 3rd 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
$4.9
$14.4
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$40.7
$69.9
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.69
$10.2
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.7
$6.69
☕ Cappuccino
$3.83
$3.3
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.55
$2.46
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$901
$1859
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$497
$1319
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2595
$3954
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1269
$2433
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$39.1
$139
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$60.5
$215
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$17.9
$53.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.77%
6.47%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$17366
$17057
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$9346
$10833
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.56
$3.27
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$37.3
$145
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6
$29.3
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.19
$1.36
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.55
$1.53
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.02
$2.74
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.47
$2.43
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.21
$4.43
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$18.3
$11.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.12
$8.51
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.8
$15.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.27
$3.35
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.65
$2.64
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.97
$3.05
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.52
$4.17
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.96
$2.44
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.04
$2.26
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.39
$1.2
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.25
$2.58
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$14.7
$13.6
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.9
$5.19
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.45
$28.6
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.43
$9.23
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.06
$4.26
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.68
$2.68
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2
$2.57
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$69.1
$63.3
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.16
$16.4
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$89.7
$55.3
💇 Haircut, simple
$12
$21.1
👖 Brand Jeans
$66.7
$79.7
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.5
$118
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1283
$2005
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$28143
$17934

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$1074
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$731
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$771
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$763
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1020
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$596
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$682
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$731
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$651
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$678
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$687
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$699
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$688
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$690
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$677
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$675
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$755
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$707
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$713
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$682
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$831
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$679
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$694
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$625
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$707
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$625
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$651
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$703
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$524
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$631
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$645
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$720
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$725
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$696
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$617
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$719
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$789
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$652
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$740

Cities near Sydney

Distance City Cost of living
15 km or 9.2 mi Dee Why
$1998
19 km or 12 mi Parramatta
$2348
29 km or 18 mi Kellyville
$1903
29 km or 18 mi Blacktown
$1691
69 km or 43 mi Wollongong
$1430
117 km or 73 mi Newcastle
$1461
158 km or 98 mi Bathurst
$1610
168 km or 104 mi Goulburn
$1723
205 km or 127 mi Orange
$1463
247 km or 154 mi Canberra
$2604
301 km or 187 mi Dubbo
$1404
314 km or 195 mi Port Macquarie
$1688
377 km or 234 mi Armidale
$1354
378 km or 235 mi Wagga Wagga
$1528
436 km or 271 mi Coffs Harbour
$1481
478 km or 297 mi Griffith
$1669
597 km or 371 mi Shepparton
$1672
624 km or 388 mi Byron Bay
$1862
638 km or 396 mi Traralgon
$1707
683 km or 425 mi Gold Coast
$2152
689 km or 428 mi Southport
$2011
695 km or 432 mi Pakenham
$1719
701 km or 436 mi Berwick
$1716
706 km or 439 mi Bendigo
$1317
706 km or 439 mi Toowoomba
$1552
707 km or 439 mi Dandenong
$1693
711 km or 442 mi Ipswich
$1785
711 km or 442 mi Cranbourne
$1701
713 km or 443 mi South Yarra
$1702
713 km or 443 mi Melbourne
$2356
716 km or 445 mi Sunbury
$1746
724 km or 450 mi Frankston
$1707
732 km or 455 mi Melton
$1708
733 km or 455 mi Brisbane
$2356
735 km or 457 mi Tarneit
$1658
736 km or 457 mi Hoppers Crossing
$1673
775 km or 481 mi Caboolture
$1881
778 km or 484 mi Geelong
$1688
779 km or 484 mi Ballarat
$1327
807 km or 502 mi Caloundra
$1816