Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bozhou and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Bozhou: $678 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Bozhou
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Bozhou Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Bozhou

🇨🇳 China

$678

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Bozhou versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Bozhou $678
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,083 in Bozhou versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Bozhou $1,083
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,487 in Bozhou versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Bozhou $1,487
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Bozhou costs roughly 45% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bozhou 50% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.51 ¥10.12

$4.56 ¥30.47

-66.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.71 ¥152

$30.21 ¥202

-24.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.37 ¥29.23

$5.25 ¥35.13

-16.76%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ¥17.89

$3.28 ¥21.94

-18.29%

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

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.57 ¥3.84

-31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.36 ¥2.39

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ¥6.85

$1.23 ¥8.23

-17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ¥12.31

$2.27 ¥15.18

-18.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ¥8.20

$1.84 ¥12.30

-33.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 ¥13.78

$1.96 ¥13.08

5.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$1.03 ¥6.87

-57.28%

Eggs

$0.92 ¥6.16

$1.67 ¥11.16

-44.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 ¥94.3

$16.96 ¥113

-16.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.18 ¥14.60

$3.19 ¥21.33

-31.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 ¥71.1

$12.90 ¥86.3

-17.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ¥8.12

$2.24 ¥15.00

-45.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ¥7.09

$1.66 ¥11.13

-36.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.95

$2.02 ¥13.54

-63.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$1.66 ¥11.08

-56.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.09

$0.77 ¥5.17

-40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.94

$0.93 ¥6.21

-36.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.87

$0.63 ¥4.19

-7.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 ¥4.16

$0.60 ¥3.99

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.30

$3.80 ¥25.44

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.81 ¥79.0

$10.87 ¥72.7

8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ¥6.28

$0.82 ¥5.51

14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 ¥8.11

$1.61 ¥10.76

-24.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.61 ¥4.11

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.25 ¥115

$29.40 ¥197

-41.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ¥6.93

$2.11 ¥14.11

-50.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.43 ¥2.87

-23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ¥23.53

$9.06 ¥60.6

-61.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ¥7.35

$1.33 ¥8.89

-17.29%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

3.11%

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

$16.7K ¥111.5K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-10.84%

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

$48.90 ¥327

$57.8 ¥387

-15.41%

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

$4.26 ¥28.47

$8.09 ¥54.1

-47.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.26 ¥48.54

$10.48 ¥70.0

-30.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.29 ¥263

$65.7 ¥439

-40.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$17.82 ¥119

-17.17%

Cinema Ticket

$3.70 ¥24.72

$8.95 ¥59.9

-58.66%

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

$244 ¥1,631

$1,414 ¥9,451

-82.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,547 ¥57.1K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-69.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.42 ¥304

$54.0 ¥361

-15.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 ¥220

$37.09 ¥248

-11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.5 ¥431

$74.3 ¥496

-13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 ¥501

$106 ¥706

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$309 ¥2,064

$1,055 ¥7,056

-70.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 ¥1,320

$585 ¥3,910

-66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ¥3,681

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-77.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 ¥2,590

$1,232 ¥8,240

-68.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,746 ¥25.0K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-73.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,918 ¥12.8K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-69.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$748 ¥4,999

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-56.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

3.36

-6.25%

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

Last update for Bozhou: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bozhou

$197 29.1%

Shanghai

$585 47% 196% $387

Groceries & Markets

Bozhou

$186 27.4%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 26.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Bozhou

$98 14.5%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 24.4% $24

Eating Out

Bozhou

$69 10.1%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 54.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bozhou

$60 8.9%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 26.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Bozhou

$47 6.9%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 79.1% $37

Getting Around

Bozhou

$21 3.1%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 70.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $309 in Bozhou and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 129% 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: $23.00 in Bozhou vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $235 per month, with Bozhou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Bozhou

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

Same time as Bozhou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,537,231

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

On the map

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Between locations

Bozhou Shanghai 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bozhou
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

Bozhou vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bozhou is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 129% 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: $309 in Bozhou versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bozhou – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $678 per month in Bozhou versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $678 in Bozhou versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bozhou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Bozhou 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 Bozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.