Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheongju and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,398 in Cheongju, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Cheongju despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cheongju
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Cheongju Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Cheongju

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,398

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,398 in Cheongju versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Cheongju $1,398
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,320 in Cheongju versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Cheongju $2,320
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Cheongju versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Cheongju $3,241
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Cheongju is roughly 12% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheongju is 4% above, Shanghai is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.64 ₩10.2K

$4.56 ¥30.47

67.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.79 ₩64.9K

$30.21 ¥202

61.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 ₩8,153

$5.25 ¥35.13

16.76%

Cappuccino

$3.65 ₩4,851

$3.28 ¥21.94

11.28%

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

$1.78 ₩2,361

$0.57 ¥3.84

212.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₩1,873

$0.36 ¥2.39

291.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.79 ₩5,033

$1.23 ¥8.23

208.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 ₩5,845

$2.27 ¥15.18

93.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 ₩3,128

$1.84 ¥12.30

27.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 ₩4,129

$1.96 ¥13.08

58.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 ₩4,178

$1.03 ¥6.87

204.85%

Eggs

$2.71 ₩3,606

$1.67 ¥11.16

62.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 ₩14.9K

$16.96 ¥113

-34.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.27 ₩13.7K

$3.19 ¥21.33

221.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.55 ₩32.6K

$12.90 ¥86.3

90.31%

Apples (1kg)

$11.41 ₩15.2K

$2.24 ¥15.00

409.38%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 ₩4,727

$1.66 ¥11.13

114.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.30 ₩11.0K

$2.02 ¥13.54

310.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.91 ₩7,859

$1.66 ¥11.08

256.02%

Potato (1kg)

$6.14 ₩8,161

$0.77 ¥5.17

697.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 ₩4,336

$0.93 ¥6.21

250.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 ₩3,637

$0.63 ¥4.19

334.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₩1,717

$0.60 ¥3.99

115.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 ₩4,413

$3.80 ¥25.44

-12.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.55 ₩24.7K

$10.87 ¥72.7

70.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 ₩3,287

$0.82 ¥5.51

201.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 ₩4,458

$1.61 ¥10.76

108.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₩1,450

$0.61 ¥4.11

78.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 ₩4,741

$2.11 ¥14.11

69.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 ₩1,017

$0.43 ¥2.87

79.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.65 ₩22.1K

$9.06 ¥60.6

83.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ₩1,811

$1.33 ¥8.89

2.26%

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

$29.5K ₩39.2M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

55.14%

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

$33.4K ₩44.4M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

78.36%

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

$203 ₩269.6K

$57.8 ¥387

250.80%

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

$24.35 ₩32.4K

$8.09 ¥54.1

200.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 ₩35.3K

$10.48 ¥70.0

153.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ₩69.8K

$65.7 ¥439

-20.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.07 ₩16.1K

$17.82 ¥119

-32.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.10 ₩16.1K

$8.95 ¥59.9

35.20%

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

$624 ₩830.0K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-55.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K ₩29.3M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-20.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.95 ₩50.5K

$54.0 ¥361

-29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 ₩86.3K

$37.09 ¥248

75.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 ₩126.4K

$74.3 ¥496

28.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ₩150.1K

$106 ¥706

6.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 ₩461.0K

$1,055 ¥7,056

-67.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 ₩354.8K

$585 ¥3,910

-54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 ₩1.5M

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-53.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 ₩1.0M

$1,232 ¥8,240

-38.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,214 ₩9.6M

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-48.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,577 ₩7.4M

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,595 ₩3.5M

$1,711 ¥11.4K

51.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

3.36

25.60%

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

Last update for Cheongju: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cheongju

$485 34.7%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 51.6% $250

Accommodation & Living

Cheongju

$267 19.1%

Shanghai

$585 47% 119% $318

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cheongju

$254 18.2%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 69.9% $177

Eating Out

Cheongju

$164 11.7%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 35.3% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Cheongju

$140 10%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 12.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cheongju

$77 5.5%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 9% $6.9

Getting Around

Cheongju

$12 * 0.8%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 207% $24

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 $347 in Cheongju and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheongju pays 52% 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: $49.00 in Cheongju vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $235 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Cheongju

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

1 h behind Cheongju

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

835,669

24,870,895

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.69 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Cheongju Shanghai 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cheongju
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

Cheongju vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Cheongju. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Cheongju, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $347 in Cheongju versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Cheongju versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shanghai – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $49.00 in Cheongju. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Shanghai versus $1,398 in Cheongju, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Cheongju. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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.

Safety-wise, Cheongju and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cheongju. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.