Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anshan and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Anshan: $626 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Anshan
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Anshan Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Anshan

🇨🇳 China

$626

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $626 in Anshan versus $1,256 in Shanghai.

Anshan $626
Shanghai $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,011 in Anshan versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Anshan $1,011
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,396 in Anshan versus $2,743 in Shanghai.

Anshan $1,396
Shanghai $2,743

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Anshan 54% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.94 ¥19.67

$4.45 ¥29.78

-33.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.46 ¥123

$30.29 ¥203

-39.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 ¥30.70

$5.09 ¥34.01

-9.82%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ¥16.65

$3.43 ¥22.96

-27.41%

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

$0.36 ¥2.38

$0.62 ¥4.15

-41.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ¥1.40

$0.39 ¥2.58

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$1.23 ¥8.25

-40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.79

$2.21 ¥14.81

-27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 ¥11.80

$1.85 ¥12.37

-4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 ¥8.42

$1.95 ¥13.02

-35.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.39 ¥2.59

$1.00 ¥6.67

-61.00%

Eggs

$1.06 ¥7.07

$1.71 ¥11.43

-38.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.06 ¥60.6

$17.47 ¥117

-48.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.83 ¥12.24

$3.24 ¥21.66

-43.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.93 ¥59.7

$12.99 ¥86.8

-31.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.83

$2.24 ¥14.98

-54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.68 ¥11.25

-30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.83

$1.95 ¥13.03

-40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 ¥7.95

$1.73 ¥11.60

-31.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.76 ¥5.10

-59.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.14

$0.92 ¥6.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.66 ¥4.41

-56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.60 ¥4.00

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.28

$3.69 ¥24.65

2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.39 ¥49.42

$10.92 ¥73.0

-32.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥4.79

$0.87 ¥5.85

-17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 ¥7.29

$1.63 ¥10.87

-33.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.62 ¥4.13

-53.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.04 ¥121

$30.38 ¥203

-40.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ¥6.90

$2.06 ¥13.79

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.14 ¥0.90

$0.46 ¥3.08

-69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 ¥19.59

$8.84 ¥59.1

-66.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 ¥7.05

$1.33 ¥8.86

-21.05%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$19.3K ¥128.7K

1.27%

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

$15.1K ¥101.2K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

-17.03%

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

$29.47 ¥197

$57.1 ¥382

-48.40%

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

$7.37 ¥49.28

$8.07 ¥53.9

-8.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.66 ¥98.0

$10.70 ¥71.5

37.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.48 ¥277

$64.6 ¥432

-35.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 ¥98.9

$17.29 ¥116

-14.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.93 ¥39.63

$9.05 ¥60.5

-34.48%

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

$226 ¥1,514

$1,441 ¥9,638

-84.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K ¥143.1K

$28.2K ¥188.4K

-24.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.77 ¥246

$53.5 ¥358

-31.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.89 ¥220

$37.05 ¥248

-11.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 ¥405

$77.0 ¥515

-21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 ¥468

$104 ¥694

-32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 ¥1,971

$1,023 ¥6,841

-71.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,217

$594 ¥3,971

-69.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$629 ¥4,209

$2,563 ¥17.1K

-75.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,518

$1,213 ¥8,107

-68.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,509 ¥23.5K

$13.5K ¥90.4K

-74.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,923 ¥12.9K

$6,247 ¥41.8K

-69.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$926 ¥6,194

$1,699 ¥11.4K

-45.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

-40.48%

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

Last update for Anshan: October 18, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Anshan

$182 29.1%

Shanghai

$594 47.3% 226% $412

Groceries & Markets

Anshan

$152 24.2%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 56.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Anshan

$90 14.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 35.6% $32

Eating Out

Anshan

$76 12.2%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 39.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Anshan

$53 8.5%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 55.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Anshan

$52 8.2%

Shanghai

$76 6% 47.3% $24

Getting Around

Anshan

$21 3.3%

Shanghai

$37 3% 78.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Anshan and $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 83% 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: $18.00 in Anshan vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $152 vs $238 per month, with Anshan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Anshan

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

Same time as Anshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,543,696

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

Anshan Shanghai 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Anshan
Shanghai

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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

Anshan vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anshan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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: $295 in Anshan versus $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anshan – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $626 per month in Anshan versus $1,256 in Shanghai – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $626 in Anshan versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Anshan but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Anshan 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.

Expats usually find Anshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.