Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chengdu: $726 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Chengdu
Learn more

Chengdu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Chengdu

🇨🇳 China

$726

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $726 per month in Chengdu vs $1,222 in Shanghai, rent included.

Chengdu $726
Shanghai $1,222

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Chengdu vs $1,971 in Shanghai, rent included.

Chengdu $1,170
Shanghai $1,971

A family of three spends $1,614 per month in Chengdu vs $2,720 in Shanghai, rent included.

Chengdu $1,614
Shanghai $2,720

Chengdu is about 41% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Chengdu and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 47% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.43

$4.53 ¥30.11

-35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.28 ¥148

$30.16 ¥201

-26.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥32.28

$5.11 ¥34.03

-5.09%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥19.94

$3.41 ¥22.69

-12.02%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.58 ¥3.85

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.35 ¥2.36

-25.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.06

$1.23 ¥8.22

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ¥15.20

$2.31 ¥15.37

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ¥12.29

$1.88 ¥12.51

-1.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 ¥9.89

$1.94 ¥12.88

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.58

$0.98 ¥6.52

1.02%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.70

$1.70 ¥11.30

-5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 ¥95.2

$17.02 ¥113

-15.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ¥24.25

$3.22 ¥21.41

13.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥73.3

$12.93 ¥86.0

-14.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.62

$2.15 ¥14.31

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ¥9.23

$1.73 ¥11.48

-19.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ¥6.91

$2.03 ¥13.50

-48.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥7.97

$1.73 ¥11.54

-30.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.91

$0.83 ¥5.51

-10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.56

$0.92 ¥6.13

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ¥4.23

$0.67 ¥4.48

-4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.83

$0.59 ¥3.92

-1.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 ¥24.53

$3.77 ¥25.09

-2.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.37 ¥29.08

$11.03 ¥73.4

-60.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.58

$0.90 ¥5.99

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$1.60 ¥10.67

-7.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.57 ¥3.81

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.23 ¥168

$29.62 ¥197

-14.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ¥8.83

$2.14 ¥14.25

-37.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.47 ¥3.10

-34.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 ¥29.07

$8.74 ¥58.2

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.48

$1.34 ¥8.93

-5.22%

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

$19.6K ¥130.7K

$19.3K ¥128.1K

2.05%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$18.3K ¥121.6K

-1.27%

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

$46.65 ¥310

$58.9 ¥392

-20.80%

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

$9.40 ¥62.6

$7.90 ¥52.5

18.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.87 ¥85.6

$10.60 ¥70.5

21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.11 ¥180

$64.8 ¥431

-58.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.21 ¥74.6

$17.47 ¥116

-35.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 ¥41.02

$9.06 ¥60.3

-31.90%

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

$1,161 ¥7,724

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-26.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K ¥101.5K

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-45.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.36 ¥169

$54.6 ¥363

-53.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.52 ¥183

$37.21 ¥248

-26.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ¥380

$74.6 ¥496

-23.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.2 ¥354

$106 ¥707

-49.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 ¥2,829

$1,026 ¥6,825

-58.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 ¥1,540

$559 ¥3,721

-58.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 ¥5,026

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-71.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 ¥3,178

$1,191 ¥7,925

-59.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,476 ¥23.1K

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-74.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,845 ¥12.3K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-71.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,278 ¥8,502

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-25.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.36

0.60%

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

Last update for Chengdu: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chengdu

$231 31.9%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 142% $328

Groceries & Markets

Chengdu

$195 26.8%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 21.4% $42

Eating Out

Chengdu

$89 12.3%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 20.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Chengdu

$73 10.1%

Shanghai

$123 10% 67.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chengdu

$69 9.5%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 12.3% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Chengdu

$39 5.4%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 110% $43

Getting Around

Chengdu

$29 4%

Shanghai

$36 3% 24.2% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Chengdu 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 run about 34% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu versus $30 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $195 vs $237 – making Chengdu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chengdu

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

08:08 8:08 AM

Same time as Chengdu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,937,757

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chengdu Shanghai 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Chengdu
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

Chengdu vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $726 in Chengdu, $1,222 in Shanghai – Chengdu comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,090 per month in Chengdu 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 Chengdu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chengdu and $30 in Shanghai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $726 in Chengdu and $1,222 in Shanghai. That makes Chengdu about 41% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Chengdu, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Chengdu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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