Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Changchun and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Changchun: $904 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Changchun
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Changchun Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Changchun

🇨🇳 China

$904

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $904 in Changchun versus $1,256 in Shanghai.

Changchun $904
Shanghai $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,324 in Changchun versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Changchun $1,324
Shanghai $1,999

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

Changchun $1,743
Shanghai $2,743

Living in Changchun costs roughly 28% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Changchun 33% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 ¥20.22

$4.45 ¥29.78

-32.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.15 ¥148

$30.29 ¥203

-26.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.19 ¥34.68

$5.09 ¥34.01

1.96%

Cappuccino

$2.40 ¥16.02

$3.43 ¥22.96

-30.03%

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

$0.47 ¥3.14

$0.62 ¥4.15

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.39 ¥2.58

-20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ¥8.12

$1.23 ¥8.25

-1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥12.74

$2.21 ¥14.81

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 ¥12.70

$1.85 ¥12.37

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$1.95 ¥13.02

-37.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.65

$1.00 ¥6.67

44.00%

Eggs

$1.81 ¥12.12

$1.71 ¥11.43

5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$34.55 ¥231

$17.47 ¥117

97.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.71 ¥38.15

$3.24 ¥21.66

76.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 ¥69.3

$12.99 ¥86.8

-20.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 ¥11.51

$2.24 ¥14.98

-23.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.71

$1.68 ¥11.25

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.05

$1.95 ¥13.03

-7.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ¥12.66

$1.73 ¥11.60

9.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$0.76 ¥5.10

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$0.66 ¥4.41

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 ¥9.80

$0.60 ¥4.00

145.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.28

$3.69 ¥24.65

2.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.06 ¥141

$10.92 ¥73.0

92.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.13

$0.87 ¥5.85

5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 ¥7.37

$1.63 ¥10.87

-32.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.62 ¥4.13

-29.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$2.06 ¥13.79

-39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.46 ¥3.08

-32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ¥20.18

$8.84 ¥59.1

-65.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 ¥8.58

$1.33 ¥8.86

-3.76%

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

$19.3K ¥129.3K

$19.3K ¥128.7K

0.46%

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

$17.8K ¥118.9K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

-2.54%

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

$76.7 ¥513

$57.1 ¥382

34.25%

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

$4.43 ¥29.63

$8.07 ¥53.9

-45.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.76 ¥98.7

$10.70 ¥71.5

37.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.44 ¥250

$64.6 ¥432

-42.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.13 ¥27.59

$17.29 ¥116

-76.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 ¥44.42

$9.05 ¥60.5

-26.63%

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

$553 ¥3,701

$1,441 ¥9,638

-61.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K ¥146.1K

$28.2K ¥188.4K

-22.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.7 ¥493

$53.5 ¥358

37.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.44 ¥297

$37.05 ¥248

19.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 ¥402

$77.0 ¥515

-21.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 ¥466

$104 ¥694

-32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 ¥1,446

$1,023 ¥6,841

-78.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 ¥1,648

$594 ¥3,971

-58.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 ¥3,848

$2,563 ¥17.1K

-77.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$308 ¥2,057

$1,213 ¥8,107

-74.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,668 ¥11.2K

$13.5K ¥90.4K

-87.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,006 ¥6,728

$6,247 ¥41.8K

-83.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 ¥6,423

$1,699 ¥11.4K

-43.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.37

3.36

30.06%

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

Last update for Changchun: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Changchun

$313 * 34.6%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 24.1% $75

Accommodation & Living

Changchun

$246 27.3%

Shanghai

$594 47.3% 141% $347

Clothing & Footwear

Changchun

$112 12.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 9.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Changchun

$96 10.6%

Shanghai

$76 6% 20.9% $20

Eating Out

Changchun

$82 9%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 30.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Changchun

$51 5.6%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 63% $32

Getting Around

Changchun

$4.5 * 0.5%

Shanghai

$37 3% 720% $33

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 $216 in Changchun and $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 77% 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: $22.00 in Changchun vs $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $238, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Changchun

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

Same time as Changchun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,066,906

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

Changchun Shanghai 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Changchun
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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

Changchun vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changchun is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and leisure. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% 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: $216 in Changchun versus $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $553 in Changchun versus $1,441 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Changchun – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $904 in Changchun versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changchun but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Changchun 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 Changchun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.