Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Shaoxing Cost of Living Comparison Between Chengdu and Shaoxing

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $689 per month in Chengdu vs $685 in Shaoxing, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,083 per month in Chengdu vs $1,098 in Shaoxing, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,477 per month in Chengdu vs $1,512 in Shaoxing, rent included.

Chengdu costs about 1% more than Shaoxing, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Chengdu and Shaoxing are more affordable than the global median – Chengdu 49% lower, Shaoxing 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.85 ¥19.33

$2.77 ¥18.76

2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.00 ¥163

$20.61 ¥140

16.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.77

$4.14 ¥28.01

20.53%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ¥18.76

$2.74 ¥18.54

1.09%

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

$0.46 ¥3.14

$0.45 ¥3.06

2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ¥2.06

$0.26 ¥1.78

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ¥7.64

$0.67 ¥4.53

68.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥14.45

$1.71 ¥11.55

24.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.20

$2.22 ¥15.05

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 ¥9.40

$2.05 ¥13.91

-32.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.10

$0.77 ¥5.24

16.88%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥12.62

$1.54 ¥10.41

20.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 ¥92.2

$7.72 ¥52.3

76.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 ¥24.11

$2.83 ¥19.14

25.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ¥76.1

$9.13 ¥61.9

23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.63

$1.92 ¥13.04

-3.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 ¥8.00

$1.42 ¥9.59

-16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.16

$1.65 ¥11.14

-9.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ¥7.02

$1.21 ¥8.17

-14.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.74

$0.87 ¥5.89

-19.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.72

$0.95 ¥6.45

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.82

$0.81 ¥5.50

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.13

$0.61 ¥4.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 ¥21.95

$3.44 ¥23.32

-5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.44 ¥36.83

$10.19 ¥69.0

-46.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ¥6.79

$0.79 ¥5.37

26.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ¥12.69

$1.55 ¥10.53

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.78

$0.29 ¥1.97

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.31 ¥185

$16.85 ¥114

62.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 ¥8.29

$1.56 ¥10.58

-21.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.39 ¥2.62

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 ¥27.67

$8.50 ¥57.6

-51.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.70

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

$18.7K ¥126.8K

$17.3K ¥117.5K

7.91%

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

$16.0K ¥108.6K

$14.7K ¥99.3K

9.43%

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

$45.05 ¥305

$42.83 ¥290

5.18%

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

$11.69 ¥79.2

$11.08 ¥75.1

5.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.38 ¥77.1

$10.99 ¥74.4

3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.49 ¥166

$41.87 ¥284

-41.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ¥75.6

$13.96 ¥94.6

-20.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 ¥37.51

$5.46 ¥36.98

1.47%

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

$333 ¥2,253

$408 ¥2,765

-18.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥82.2K

$18.4K ¥124.7K

-34.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.92 ¥257

$42.01 ¥285

-9.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.57 ¥261

$31.12 ¥211

23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 ¥456

$67.7 ¥458

-0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.7 ¥343

$66.7 ¥452

-23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$318 ¥2,153

$280 ¥1,897

13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ¥1,215

$189 ¥1,280

-5.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$610 ¥4,135

$597 ¥4,045

2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥2,266

$355 ¥2,404

-5.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,810 ¥25.8K

$3,194 ¥21.6K

19.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,922 ¥13.0K

$1,804 ¥12.2K

6.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,257 ¥8,515

$891 ¥6,034

41.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

3.87

8.79%

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

Last update for Chengdu: June 2, 2026

Last update for Shaoxing: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $318 in Chengdu versus $280 in Shaoxing. 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 41% higher in Chengdu, 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 $24.00 in Chengdu versus $21.00 in Shaoxing. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $196 vs $190 – making Shaoxing the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Shaoxing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $689 in Chengdu, $685 in Shaoxing – roughly 1% apart. Chengdu costs more across the board, with Sport & Entertainment showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,033 per month in Chengdu and $1,027 in Shaoxing. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shaoxing, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Chengdu and $21.00 in Shaoxing. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $689 in Chengdu and $685 in Shaoxing. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $689 in Chengdu and $685 in Shaoxing, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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