Shanghai vs Sydney - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Shanghai Sydney
🚶 Cost of living one person
$1136
$2801
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$3654
$6767
🏠 One person rent
$602
$1663
🏘️ Family rent
$1527
$3057
🍽️ Food expenses
$293
$569
🚐 Transport expenses
$116
$410
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$1905
$4399
😷 Air quality
Moderate
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
9 km
🎓 Higher education
100
99
😀 Quality of life
79
99
🏙️ Population
24.9M
4.84M

The cost of living in Shanghai is 59% less expensive than in Sydney. Cities ranked 4780th and 312th ($1136 vs $2801) 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 1.7 months in Shanghai compared to 1.6 months in Sydney. Shanghai ranked 4th best city to live in China vs Sydney ranked 2nd in Australia, while ranked 571st and 4th among best cities to live in the world.

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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
$3.99
$15.3
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$42.8
$70.6
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$5.51
$10.3
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$1.43
$7.41
☕ Cappuccino
$3.61
$3.54
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$0.53
$2.66
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$897
$1992
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$461
$1372
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2549
$4038
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$1181
$2523
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$36.3
$114
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$56.1
$177
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$16.9
$53.8
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
4.28%
6.38%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$16156
$16279
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$8893
$9905
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$0.57
$3.46
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$36.1
$143
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$6.13
$29.6
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.19
$1.4
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$2.41
$1.71
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$1.99
$2.86
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.41
$2.52
🥚 Eggs, x12
$2.11
$4.82
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.8
$12.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.46
$8.94
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11.4
$15
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.33
$3.42
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.64
$2.92
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.05
$3.22
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.7
$4.5
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$0.98
$2.54
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.07
$2.32
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.37
$0.98
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$1.32
$2.43
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$11.2
$14.1
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$0.86
$5.08
🚬 Cigarette pack
$3.51
$29.8
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.62
$6.92
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.04
$5.48
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$1.72
$2.83
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.03
$2.9
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$55
$58.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$8.47
$16.9
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$90.7
$67.7
💇 Haircut, simple
$11.9
$20.8
👖 Brand Jeans
$58.2
$78.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$78.6
$117
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1263
$2054
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$31401
$18951

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
$1028
47 km or 29 mi Taicang
$706
53 km or 33 mi Kunshan
$749
74 km or 46 mi Qidong
$738
82 km or 51 mi Suzhou
$1020
82 km or 51 mi Jiaxing
$585
85 km or 53 mi Haimen
$661
88 km or 55 mi Changshu
$718
106 km or 66 mi Nantong
$620
117 km or 73 mi Zhangjiagang
$676
121 km or 75 mi Wuxi
$686
135 km or 84 mi Huzhou
$706
141 km or 87 mi Jiangyin
$685
142 km or 88 mi Zhoushan
$612
144 km or 89 mi Ningbo
$733
148 km or 92 mi Jingjiang
$674
155 km or 96 mi Shaoxing
$742
158 km or 98 mi Yixing
$702
159 km or 99 mi Changzhou
$729
160 km or 100 mi Rugao
$674
161 km or 100 mi Hangzhou
$843
177 km or 110 mi Taixing
$665
179 km or 111 mi Hai'an
$676
191 km or 119 mi Liyang
$690
197 km or 122 mi Yangzhong
$629
198 km or 123 mi Guangde
$698
201 km or 125 mi Danyang
$630
208 km or 129 mi Taizhou
$673
217 km or 135 mi Dongtai
$698
223 km or 139 mi Zhenjiang
$538
235 km or 146 mi Yangzhou
$650
236 km or 146 mi Jurong
$651
244 km or 152 mi Ningguo
$703
246 km or 153 mi Yiwu
$708
250 km or 155 mi Xinghua
$699
250 km or 156 mi Yizheng
$617
259 km or 161 mi Linhai
$702
260 km or 161 mi Xuancheng
$771
262 km or 163 mi Gaoyou
$648
274 km or 170 mi Nanjing
$774

Cities near Sydney

Distance City Cost of living
15 km or 9.2 mi Dee Why
$2286
19 km or 12 mi Parramatta
$2472
29 km or 18 mi Kellyville
$1997
29 km or 18 mi Blacktown
$1732
69 km or 43 mi Wollongong
$1532
117 km or 73 mi Newcastle
$1833
158 km or 98 mi Bathurst
$1674
168 km or 104 mi Goulburn
$1748
205 km or 127 mi Orange
$1500
247 km or 154 mi Canberra
$2393
301 km or 187 mi Dubbo
$1815
314 km or 195 mi Port Macquarie
$1661
377 km or 234 mi Armidale
$1289
378 km or 235 mi Wagga Wagga
$1628
436 km or 271 mi Coffs Harbour
$1913
478 km or 297 mi Griffith
$1746
597 km or 371 mi Shepparton
$1717
624 km or 388 mi Byron Bay
$1958
638 km or 396 mi Traralgon
$1829
683 km or 425 mi Gold Coast
$2300
689 km or 428 mi Southport
$2141
695 km or 432 mi Pakenham
$1805
701 km or 436 mi Berwick
$1800
706 km or 439 mi Bendigo
$1397
706 km or 439 mi Toowoomba
$1635
707 km or 439 mi Dandenong
$1876
711 km or 442 mi Ipswich
$1877
711 km or 442 mi Cranbourne
$1738
713 km or 443 mi South Yarra
$1758
713 km or 443 mi Melbourne
$2397
716 km or 445 mi Sunbury
$1822
724 km or 450 mi Frankston
$1799
732 km or 455 mi Melton
$1795
733 km or 455 mi Brisbane
$2491
735 km or 457 mi Tarneit
$1757
736 km or 457 mi Hoppers Crossing
$1767
775 km or 481 mi Caboolture
$1925
778 km or 484 mi Geelong
$1892
779 km or 484 mi Ballarat
$1357
807 km or 502 mi Caloundra
$1754