Cost of Living Comparison Between Beihai and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Beihai and Shanghai

πŸ™‚ Solo nomad: Beihai is 10% cheaper than Shanghai without rent, and 42.7% cheaper with rent.
πŸ™‚ Family of 3: Beihai is 15.7% cheaper than Shanghai without rent, and 42.2% cheaper with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.77 Β₯19.84
$4.73 Β₯33.92
-41.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$21.04 Β₯151
$36.17 Β₯259
-41.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.97 Β₯35.62
$5.6 Β₯40.18
-11.25%
Cappuccino
$3.04 Β₯21.79
$3.56 Β₯25.53
-14.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 Β₯3.09
$0.54 Β₯3.9
-20.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.27 Β₯1.91
$0.36 Β₯2.59
-25.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.94 Β₯6.74
$1.43 Β₯10.25
-34.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 Β₯14.62
$2.76 Β₯19.81
-26.09%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.84 Β₯13.16
$2.18 Β₯15.66
-15.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.59 Β₯11.44
$1.81 Β₯13
-12.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.89 Β₯6.38
$1.1 Β₯7.9
-19.09%
Eggs
$1.64 Β₯11.78
$1.69 Β₯12.1
-2.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.07 Β₯93.7
$15.79 Β₯113
-17.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.17 Β₯22.7
$3.17 Β₯22.76
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.07 Β₯72.2
$10.88 Β₯78.1
-7.44%
Apples (1kg)
$1.71 Β₯12.26
$2.26 Β₯16.24
-24.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.25 Β₯8.95
$1.67 Β₯11.98
-25.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.42 Β₯10.22
$1.78 Β₯12.78
-20.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.08 Β₯7.73
$1.52 Β₯10.94
-28.95%
Potato (1kg)
$0.67 Β₯4.82
$0.85 Β₯6.09
-21.18%
Onion (1kg)
$0.97 Β₯6.98
$1.17 Β₯8.37
-17.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.6 Β₯4.31
$0.68 Β₯4.84
-11.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Β₯3.68
$0.6 Β₯4.29
-15.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.08 Β₯22.08
$2.87 Β₯20.56
7.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.93 Β₯78.4
$11.16 Β₯80
-2.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 Β₯5.79
$0.8 Β₯5.73
1.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Β₯11.74
$1.56 Β₯11.22
5.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Β₯2.11
$0.4 Β₯2.89
-27.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$16.82 Β₯121
$35.15 Β₯252
-52.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.43 Β₯10.26
$2.29 Β₯16.45
-37.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 Β₯2.56
$0.37 Β₯2.69
-2.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.83 Β₯49.02
$8.14 Β₯58.4
-16.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.18 Β₯8.49
$1.09 Β₯7.81
8.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7K Β₯141K
$19.5K Β₯140.1K
0.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.5K Β₯118.3K
$18.2K Β₯130.5K
-9.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$45.24 Β₯325
$51.6 Β₯370
-12.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.56 Β₯68.6
$8.68 Β₯62.2
10.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.68 Β₯83.8
$13.5 Β₯96.8
-13.48%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.39 Β₯304
$46.42 Β₯333
-8.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14 Β₯100
$20.44 Β₯147
-31.51%
Cinema Ticket
$6.44 Β₯46.2
$8.58 Β₯61.5
-24.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$341 Β₯2,444
$1,307 Β₯9,378
-73.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17K Β₯121.7K
$31.4K Β₯225.4K
-46.01%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.27 Β₯318
$58.8 Β₯422
-24.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.94 Β₯215
$36.99 Β₯265
-19.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.9 Β₯515
$77.7 Β₯558
-7.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$74.4 Β₯533
$98.5 Β₯706
-24.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$282 Β₯2,024
$952 Β₯6,827
-70.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$185 Β₯1,325
$574 Β₯4,115
-67.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$589 Β₯4,228
$2,518 Β₯18.1K
-76.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$355 Β₯2,545
$1,201 Β₯8,614
-70.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,974 Β₯21.3K
$14.4K Β₯103.2K
-79.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,204 Β₯15.8K
$7,106 Β₯51K
-68.98%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Beihai
Shanghai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,534 Β₯11K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.87
3.58
8.10%

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

Last update for Beihai: October 29, 2025

Last update for Shanghai: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.