Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chifeng and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chifeng: $719 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.

34

Cost of Living Index in Chifeng
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Chifeng Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Chifeng

🇨🇳 China

$719

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Chifeng vs $1,222 in Shanghai, rent included.

Chifeng $719
Shanghai $1,222

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Chifeng vs $1,971 in Shanghai, rent included.

Chifeng $1,137
Shanghai $1,971

A family of three spends $1,555 per month in Chifeng vs $2,720 in Shanghai, rent included.

Chifeng $1,555
Shanghai $2,720

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 ¥18.23

$4.53 ¥30.16

-39.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.77 ¥145

$30.16 ¥201

-27.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.21

$5.11 ¥34.09

-5.48%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥19.75

$3.41 ¥22.74

-13.20%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.58 ¥3.86

-25.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.35 ¥2.36

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 ¥6.30

$1.23 ¥8.23

-23.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.25

$2.31 ¥15.40

-7.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ¥11.84

$1.88 ¥12.54

-5.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.60

$1.94 ¥12.90

-18.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.05

$0.98 ¥6.53

-7.14%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.71

$1.70 ¥11.32

-5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.6

$17.02 ¥113

-23.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.27 ¥21.80

$3.22 ¥21.45

1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.31 ¥68.7

$12.93 ¥86.2

-20.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.06

$2.15 ¥14.33

-15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.10

$1.73 ¥11.50

-29.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 ¥9.88

$2.03 ¥13.53

-27.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.68

$1.73 ¥11.56

-33.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.83 ¥5.52

-10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥5.98

$0.92 ¥6.14

-2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.67 ¥4.49

-14.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.40

$0.59 ¥3.93

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ¥21.35

$3.77 ¥25.14

-15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.35 ¥69.0

$11.03 ¥73.5

-6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$0.90 ¥6.01

-17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 ¥10.89

$1.60 ¥10.69

1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.57 ¥3.81

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.79 ¥112

$29.62 ¥197

-43.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 ¥9.53

$2.14 ¥14.27

-33.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.47 ¥3.11

-23.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.67 ¥44.44

$8.74 ¥58.3

-23.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.50

$1.34 ¥8.95

-15.67%

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

$19.2K ¥128.1K

$19.3K ¥128.3K

-0.18%

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

$17.0K ¥113.1K

$18.3K ¥121.8K

-7.22%

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

$45.63 ¥304

$58.9 ¥393

-22.53%

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

$9.91 ¥66.1

$7.90 ¥52.6

25.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.82 ¥78.8

$10.60 ¥70.7

11.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.41 ¥283

$64.8 ¥432

-34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 ¥94.0

$17.47 ¥116

-19.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ¥39.04

$9.06 ¥60.4

-35.32%

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

$329 ¥2,196

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-79.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ¥113.7K

$28.2K ¥188.2K

-39.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.42 ¥296

$54.6 ¥364

-18.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.68 ¥204

$37.21 ¥248

-17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 ¥488

$74.6 ¥497

-1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 ¥479

$106 ¥708

-32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ¥1,834

$1,026 ¥6,837

-73.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 ¥1,302

$559 ¥3,728

-65.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,900

$2,618 ¥17.5K

-77.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$360 ¥2,402

$1,191 ¥7,939

-69.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,050 ¥20.3K

$13.4K ¥89.1K

-77.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,069 ¥13.8K

$6,527 ¥43.5K

-68.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,712 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.36

15.77%

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

Last update for Chifeng: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Chifeng

$198 27.6%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 19.4% $38

Accommodation & Living

Chifeng

$195 27.2%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 186% $364

Clothing & Footwear

Chifeng

$99 13.8%

Shanghai

$123 10% 23.9% $24

Eating Out

Chifeng

$84 11.7%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 27.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chifeng

$67 9.4%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 14.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Chifeng

$54 7.5%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 53.2% $29

Getting Around

Chifeng

$21 2.9%

Shanghai

$36 3% 71.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $275 in Chifeng 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chifeng versus $30 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $198 vs $237 – making Chifeng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Chifeng

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

Same time as Chifeng

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,175,391

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chifeng Shanghai 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chifeng
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

Chifeng vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Chifeng 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 Chifeng, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $275 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Chifeng 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 $719 in Chifeng and $1,222 in Shanghai. That’s a gap of about 70%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chifeng, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Chifeng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Chifeng – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Chifeng is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 70% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.