Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankang and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ankang: $725 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Ankang
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Ankang Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Ankang

🇨🇳 China

$725

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $725 per month in Ankang vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Ankang $725
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Ankang vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Ankang $1,132
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,540 per month in Ankang vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Ankang $1,540
Shanghai $2,755

Ankang is about 42% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ankang and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Ankang 46% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.47 ¥9.81

$4.56 ¥30.47

-67.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.99 ¥100

$30.21 ¥202

-50.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.91 ¥19.46

$5.25 ¥35.13

-44.57%

Cappuccino

$2.15 ¥14.39

$3.28 ¥21.94

-34.45%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.57 ¥3.84

-24.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.36 ¥2.39

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 ¥10.03

$1.23 ¥8.23

21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.86

$2.27 ¥15.18

-34.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.85

$1.84 ¥12.30

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 ¥11.37

$1.96 ¥13.08

-13.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥5.99

$1.03 ¥6.87

-12.62%

Eggs

$1.49 ¥9.98

$1.67 ¥11.16

-10.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 ¥76.3

$16.96 ¥113

-32.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 ¥27.53

$3.19 ¥21.33

29.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 ¥69.2

$12.90 ¥86.3

-19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$2.24 ¥15.00

-24.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$1.66 ¥11.13

-30.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.32

$2.02 ¥13.54

-38.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.66 ¥11.08

-24.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ¥4.52

$0.77 ¥5.17

-11.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.61

$0.93 ¥6.21

-25.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.63 ¥4.19

-7.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.60 ¥3.99

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 ¥22.15

$3.80 ¥25.44

-12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 ¥66.1

$10.87 ¥72.7

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.19

$0.82 ¥5.51

-4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ¥11.22

$1.61 ¥10.76

4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ¥2.12

$0.61 ¥4.11

-47.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.21 ¥115

$29.40 ¥197

-41.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$2.11 ¥14.11

-40.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.43 ¥2.87

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 ¥29.16

$9.06 ¥60.6

-51.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ¥9.08

$1.33 ¥8.89

2.26%

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

$19.3K ¥129.3K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

1.68%

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

$17.5K ¥117.0K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-6.46%

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

$89.3 ¥597

$57.8 ¥387

54.54%

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

$3.26 ¥21.79

$8.09 ¥54.1

-59.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.61 ¥70.9

$10.48 ¥70.0

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.85 ¥300

$65.7 ¥439

-31.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.11 ¥87.7

$17.82 ¥119

-26.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 ¥37.99

$8.95 ¥59.9

-36.54%

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

$679 ¥4,540

$1,414 ¥9,451

-51.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥115.2K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-38.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.44 ¥264

$54.0 ¥361

-26.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.19 ¥249

$37.09 ¥248

0.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 ¥498

$74.3 ¥496

0.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.4 ¥618

$106 ¥706

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$299 ¥2,002

$1,055 ¥7,056

-71.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,220

$585 ¥3,910

-68.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ¥4,117

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-75.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 ¥2,582

$1,232 ¥8,240

-68.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,279 ¥21.9K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-76.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,225 ¥14.9K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-64.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.36

-0.30%

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

Last update for Ankang: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ankang

$193 26.6%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 21.6% $42

Accommodation & Living

Ankang

$182 25.2%

Shanghai

$585 47% 221% $402

Clothing & Footwear

Ankang

$110 15.1%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 11.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankang

$103 14.2%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 26% $27

Eating Out

Ankang

$60 8.2%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 78% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Ankang

$56 7.8%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 48.7% $27

Getting Around

Ankang

$21 2.9%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 70.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $299 in Ankang versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15.00 in Ankang versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $235 – making Ankang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Ankang

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

12:26 12:26 PM

Same time as Ankang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

894,853

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ankang Shanghai 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankang
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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

Ankang vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,088 per month in Ankang and $1,865 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 71% less in Ankang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $679 per month in Ankang and $1,414 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ankang, where all-in costs run around $725, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Ankang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ankang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ankang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.