Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ansan and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,404 in Ansan, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Ansan despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Ansan
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Ansan Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Ansan

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,404

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ansan versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Ansan $1,404
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Ansan versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Ansan $2,148
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,892 in Ansan versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Ansan $2,892
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Ansan is roughly 13% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ansan is 4% above, Shanghai is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.57 ₩10.1K

$4.56 ¥30.43

66.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.22 ₩47.0K

$30.21 ¥202

16.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 ₩8,918

$5.25 ¥35.08

27.24%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ₩5,354

$3.28 ¥21.91

22.26%

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

$1.55 ₩2,071

$0.57 ¥3.84

171.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ₩1,019

$0.36 ¥2.38

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 ₩4,675

$1.23 ¥8.22

184.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ₩6,149

$2.27 ¥15.16

103.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 ₩2,711

$1.84 ¥12.28

10.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 ₩4,052

$1.96 ¥13.06

55.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 ₩3,125

$1.03 ¥6.86

127.18%

Eggs

$3.52 ₩4,691

$1.67 ¥11.15

110.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.62 ₩20.8K

$16.96 ¥113

-7.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 ₩10.8K

$3.19 ¥21.30

153.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 ₩22.9K

$12.90 ¥86.1

32.87%

Apples (1kg)

$7.58 ₩10.1K

$2.24 ¥14.98

238.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 ₩4,238

$1.66 ¥11.12

91.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.70 ₩7,599

$2.02 ¥13.52

182.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.10 ₩8,132

$1.66 ¥11.07

267.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 ₩4,989

$0.77 ¥5.17

385.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 ₩3,388

$0.93 ¥6.20

173.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 ₩2,769

$0.63 ¥4.18

230.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 ₩1,542

$0.60 ¥3.98

93.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,432

$3.80 ¥25.40

-12.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.70 ₩25.0K

$10.87 ¥72.6

72.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 ₩3,022

$0.82 ¥5.50

176.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₩4,258

$1.61 ¥10.75

98.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₩1,508

$0.61 ¥4.11

85.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥196

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 ₩4,844

$2.11 ¥14.09

72.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₩857

$0.43 ¥2.86

48.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 ₩12.0K

$9.06 ¥60.5

-0.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ₩1,895

$1.33 ¥8.88

6.77%

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

$29.6K ₩39.5M

$19.0K ¥127.0K

55.70%

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

$28.1K ₩37.4M

$18.7K ¥124.9K

50.00%

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

$208 ₩278.1K

$57.8 ¥386

260.51%

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

$34.86 ₩46.5K

$8.09 ¥54.0

330.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.07 ₩28.1K

$10.48 ¥69.9

101.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.31 ₩49.8K

$65.7 ¥439

-43.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 ₩14.8K

$8.95 ¥59.8

24.13%

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

$299 ₩398.9K

$1,414 ¥9,438

-78.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K ₩24.0M

$27.9K ¥186.0K

-35.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 ₩76.5K

$54.0 ¥360

6.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 ₩43.8K

$37.09 ¥248

-11.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 ₩93.2K

$74.3 ¥496

-5.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 ₩108.4K

$106 ¥705

-23.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₩598.6K

$1,055 ¥7,046

-57.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 ₩505.6K

$585 ¥3,904

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ₩1.5M

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-54.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₩987.2K

$1,232 ¥8,228

-39.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.4K ₩28.5M

$13.9K ¥93.0K

53.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,488 ₩2.0M

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-13.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.36

21.43%

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

Last update for Ansan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ansan

$417 29.7%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 43.7% $182

Accommodation & Living

Ansan

$379 27%

Shanghai

$585 47% 54.3% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ansan

$264 18.8%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 71.1% $188

Eating Out

Ansan

$165 11.7%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 35.6% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Ansan

$109 7.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 12.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Ansan

$60 4.2%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 40.4% $24

Getting Around

Ansan

$11 * 0.8%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 218% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Ansan and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ansan vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $235 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Ansan

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

06:03 6:03 AM

05:03 5:03 AM

1 h behind Ansan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

677,710

24,870,895

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,334 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.5 USD). 1 EUR = 1,500 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.67 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.51 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ansan Shanghai 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ansan
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

Ansan vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $449 in Ansan versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Ansan versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $35.00 in Ansan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,404 in Ansan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Ansan. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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, Ansan 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Ansan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.