Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benxi and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Benxi
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Benxi Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Benxi

🇨🇳 China

$692

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $692 per month in Benxi vs $1,222 in Shanghai, rent included.

Benxi $692
Shanghai $1,222

A couple spends around $991 per month in Benxi vs $1,971 in Shanghai, rent included.

Benxi $991
Shanghai $1,971

A family of three spends $1,291 per month in Benxi vs $2,720 in Shanghai, rent included.

Benxi $1,291
Shanghai $2,720

Benxi is about 43% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Benxi and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Benxi 49% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.04 ¥20.19

$4.53 ¥30.07

-32.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.33 ¥148

$30.16 ¥200

-25.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.25

$5.11 ¥33.99

3.91%

Cappuccino

$2.40 ¥15.98

$3.41 ¥22.67

-29.62%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.58 ¥3.85

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.89

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 ¥4.84

$1.23 ¥8.21

-40.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.69

$2.31 ¥15.35

-23.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.28

$1.88 ¥12.50

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ¥8.08

$1.94 ¥12.86

-37.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$0.98 ¥6.51

-14.29%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.65

$1.70 ¥11.29

-5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 ¥66.4

$17.02 ¥113

-41.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.85 ¥18.92

$3.22 ¥21.38

-11.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.92 ¥59.3

$12.93 ¥85.9

-31.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.74

$2.15 ¥14.29

-24.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.17

$1.73 ¥11.46

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.76

$2.03 ¥13.49

-20.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ¥9.12

$1.73 ¥11.52

-20.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.88

$0.83 ¥5.50

-30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.26

$0.92 ¥6.12

101.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.67 ¥4.47

-8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.57

$0.59 ¥3.92

16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.97 ¥19.75

$3.77 ¥25.06

-21.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 ¥54.7

$11.03 ¥73.3

-25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.90 ¥5.99

-35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 ¥8.30

$1.60 ¥10.66

-21.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.57 ¥3.80

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.21 ¥81.1

$29.62 ¥197

-58.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 ¥5.84

$2.14 ¥14.23

-58.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.47 ¥3.10

-38.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 ¥19.82

$8.74 ¥58.1

-65.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.53

$1.34 ¥8.92

-15.67%

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

$19.8K ¥131.7K

$19.3K ¥127.9K

2.92%

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

$18.0K ¥119.4K

$18.3K ¥121.5K

-1.70%

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

$54.4 ¥361

$58.9 ¥391

-7.71%

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

$6.70 ¥44.51

$7.90 ¥52.5

-15.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 ¥69.2

$10.60 ¥70.4

-1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.3 ¥441

$64.8 ¥431

2.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 ¥55.2

$17.47 ¥116

-52.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.03 ¥40.08

$9.06 ¥60.2

-33.44%

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

$449 ¥2,985

$1,587 ¥10.5K

-71.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,894 ¥59.1K

$28.2K ¥187.6K

-68.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.74 ¥198

$54.6 ¥363

-45.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.77 ¥218

$37.21 ¥247

-11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 ¥400

$74.6 ¥495

-19.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 ¥348

$106 ¥706

-50.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$137 ¥907

$1,026 ¥6,816

-86.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,259

$559 ¥3,716

-66.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 ¥1,711

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-90.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$153 ¥1,015

$1,191 ¥7,915

-87.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,371 ¥22.4K

$13.4K ¥88.9K

-74.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,941 ¥12.9K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-70.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$447 ¥2,971

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-73.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

19.05%

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

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Benxi

$189 27.4%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 195% $370

Groceries & Markets

Benxi

$179 25.9%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 32% $57

Eating Out

Benxi

$79 11.5%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 34.7% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Benxi

$79 11.4%

Shanghai

$123 10% 55.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Benxi

$78 11.3%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 5.8% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benxi

$71 10.3%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 8.3% $5.9

Getting Around

Benxi

$16 2.3%

Shanghai

$36 3% 130% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $137 in Benxi versus $1,026 in Shanghai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shanghai are about 3.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Benxi versus $30 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $179 vs $237 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Benxi

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

04:18 4:18 AM

Same time as Benxi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

809,655

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Benxi Shanghai 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Benxi
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

Benxi vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 77% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,039 per month in Benxi and $1,833 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Benxi and $1,587 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Shanghai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Benxi – 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 Benxi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.