Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambon and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambon: $625 a month against $1,250 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Ambon
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Ambon Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Ambon

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$625

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambon 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 Ambon and in Shanghai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $625 in Ambon versus $1,250 in Shanghai.

Ambon $625
Shanghai $1,250

Estimated couple costs with rent: $997 in Ambon versus $2,019 in Shanghai.

Ambon $997
Shanghai $2,019

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,368 in Ambon versus $2,789 in Shanghai.

Ambon $1,368
Shanghai $2,789

Living in Ambon costs roughly 50% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambon 53% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

$4.55 ¥30.40

-75.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.77 Rp 246.2K

$29.52 ¥197

-53.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.82 Rp 68.3K

$5.10 ¥34.08

-25.10%

Cappuccino

$1.47 Rp 26.3K

$3.42 ¥22.88

-57.02%

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

$0.43 Rp 7,711

$0.61 ¥4.11

-29.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 Rp 5,155

$0.36 ¥2.40

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

$1.21 ¥8.07

89.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 Rp 61.8K

$2.29 ¥15.31

51.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

$1.86 ¥12.46

-42.47%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 Rp 17.6K

$2.01 ¥13.45

-50.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$1.02 ¥6.83

-21.57%

Eggs

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$1.72 ¥11.46

-20.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 Rp 131.1K

$17.19 ¥115

-57.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.93 Rp 52.4K

$3.35 ¥22.39

-12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 Rp 138.0K

$12.80 ¥85.5

-39.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 39.9K

$2.17 ¥14.51

2.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$1.74 ¥11.65

-25.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 Rp 30.3K

$1.94 ¥12.96

-12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.6K

$1.68 ¥11.23

-24.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$0.77 ¥5.17

67.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.6K

$0.93 ¥6.21

113.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.62 ¥4.16

17.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,711

$0.58 ¥3.88

-25.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

$3.83 ¥25.60

-40.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.10 Rp 377.1K

$10.94 ¥73.1

92.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$0.84 ¥5.59

115.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 Rp 54.5K

$1.60 ¥10.71

90.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 Rp 4,719

$0.59 ¥3.92

-55.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.64 Rp 297.5K

$30.27 ¥202

-45.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 Rp 9,372

$2.06 ¥13.77

-74.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 Rp 6,402

$0.47 ¥3.13

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 Rp 48.0K

$8.80 ¥58.8

-69.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$1.27 ¥8.51

-36.22%

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

$21.1K Rp 377.3M

$19.6K ¥131.0K

7.70%

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

$27.3K Rp 487.1M

$18.6K ¥124.2K

46.68%

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

$57.5 Rp 1.0M

$57.2 ¥382

0.47%

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

$5.48 Rp 97.9K

$8.06 ¥53.8

-32.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.88 Rp 337.4K

$10.52 ¥70.3

79.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.58 Rp 332.0K

$64.6 ¥432

-71.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 Rp 137.5K

$17.63 ¥118

-56.38%

Cinema Ticket

$1.37 Rp 24.5K

$8.84 ¥59.1

-84.50%

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

$95.1 Rp 1.7M

$1,437 ¥9,605

-93.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,994 Rp 125.0M

$28.1K ¥187.5K

-75.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.94 Rp 767.5K

$54.7 ¥365

-21.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.09 Rp 573.6K

$36.43 ¥243

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.0 Rp 1.3M

$75.4 ¥504

-3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.7 Rp 1.3M

$104 ¥695

-31.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 Rp 3.7M

$1,039 ¥6,945

-80.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 Rp 2.3M

$589 ¥3,933

-78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 Rp 8.5M

$2,487 ¥16.6K

-80.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 Rp 7.2M

$1,237 ¥8,268

-67.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,004 Rp 17.9M

$13.6K ¥90.8K

-92.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$915 Rp 16.4M

$6,191 ¥41.4K

-85.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$125 Rp 2.2M

$1,715 ¥11.5K

-92.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

3.36

181.55%

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

Last update for Ambon: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ambon

$194 32.3%

Shanghai

$237 19% 21.8% $42

Accommodation & Living

Ambon

$127 21.1%

Shanghai

$589 47.1% 364% $462

Clothing & Footwear

Ambon

$99 16.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 23.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambon

$82 13.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 7.4% $6

Eating Out

Ambon

$59 9.8%

Shanghai

$107 8.6% 81.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Ambon

$21 3.5%

Shanghai

$82 6.6% 286% $61

Getting Around

Ambon

$20 3.3%

Shanghai

$37 3% 85% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Ambon and $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 1274% 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: $14.00 in Ambon vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $237 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ambon

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

1 h behind Ambon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

275,888

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

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Between locations

Ambon Shanghai 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambon
Shanghai

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

Ambon vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1274% lower in Shanghai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $207 in Ambon versus $1,039 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $625 per month in Ambon versus $1,250 in Shanghai – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 82% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $625 in Ambon versus $1,250 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon 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, Ambon 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 Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.