Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $889 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$889

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $889 per month in Da Nang vs $1,222 in Shanghai, rent included.

Da Nang $889
Shanghai $1,222

A couple spends around $1,426 per month in Da Nang vs $1,971 in Shanghai, rent included.

Da Nang $1,426
Shanghai $1,971

A family of three spends $1,963 per month in Da Nang vs $2,720 in Shanghai, rent included.

Da Nang $1,963
Shanghai $2,720

Da Nang is about 27% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Da Nang and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Da Nang 35% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 ₫56.1K

$4.53 ¥30.11

-52.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.53 ₫504.6K

$30.16 ¥201

-35.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 ₫117.1K

$5.11 ¥34.04

-11.35%

Cappuccino

$1.64 ₫42.4K

$3.41 ¥22.70

-51.91%

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

$0.60 ₫15.6K

$0.58 ¥3.85

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₫8,912

$0.35 ¥2.36

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 ₫34.4K

$1.23 ¥8.22

8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₫61.0K

$2.31 ¥15.37

2.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ₫41.2K

$1.88 ¥12.52

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₫31.1K

$1.94 ¥12.88

-38.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₫27.1K

$0.98 ¥6.52

7.14%

Eggs

$1.52 ₫39.4K

$1.70 ¥11.31

-10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 ₫331.1K

$17.02 ¥113

-24.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 ₫107.6K

$3.22 ¥21.41

29.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.33 ₫240.9K

$12.93 ¥86.0

-27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 ₫67.3K

$2.15 ¥14.31

20.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 ₫31.4K

$1.73 ¥11.48

-30.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 ₫33.1K

$2.03 ¥13.51

-36.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 ₫40.6K

$1.73 ¥11.54

-9.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 ₫31.0K

$0.83 ¥5.51

44.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 ₫33.9K

$0.92 ¥6.13

42.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₫26.9K

$0.67 ¥4.48

55.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ₫12.7K

$0.59 ¥3.92

-16.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.51 ₫39.0K

$3.77 ¥25.10

-59.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 ₫205.9K

$11.03 ¥73.4

-27.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 ₫24.0K

$0.90 ¥6.00

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₫56.4K

$1.60 ¥10.67

36.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₫7,702

$0.57 ¥3.81

-47.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.31 ₫162.9K

$29.62 ¥197

-78.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₫26.8K

$2.14 ¥14.25

-51.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ₫14.6K

$0.47 ¥3.10

21.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.27 ₫497.7K

$8.74 ¥58.2

120.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 ₫23.5K

$1.34 ¥8.93

-32.09%

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

$30.8K ₫796.3M

$19.3K ¥128.1K

60.13%

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

$28.4K ₫733.1M

$18.3K ¥121.7K

55.24%

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

$78.5 ₫2.0M

$58.9 ¥392

33.34%

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

$6.35 ₫164.1K

$7.90 ¥52.5

-19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.33 ₫215.2K

$10.60 ¥70.5

-21.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 ₫699.4K

$64.8 ¥431

-58.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 ₫137.4K

$17.47 ¥116

-69.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 ₫87.0K

$9.06 ¥60.3

-62.80%

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

$423 ₫10.9M

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-73.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K ₫390.0M

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-46.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.19 ₫1.2M

$54.6 ¥363

-17.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.75 ₫717.0K

$37.21 ¥248

-25.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 ₫2.6M

$74.6 ¥496

35.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 ₫2.1M

$106 ¥707

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 ₫14.3M

$1,026 ¥6,826

-46.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ₫9.5M

$559 ¥3,722

-34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 ₫31.7M

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-53.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 ₫21.2M

$1,191 ¥7,926

-31.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,858 ₫99.6M

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-71.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,877 ₫48.5M

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-71.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$362 ₫9.4M

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-78.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

3.36

219.05%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$369 41.5%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 51.5% $190

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$200 22.5%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 18.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$115 13%

Shanghai

$123 10% 6.3% $7.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$93 10.5%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 17% $16

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 62.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 145% $49

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Shanghai

$36 3% 220% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $553 in Da Nang 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 in Shanghai are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang versus $30 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $237 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

1 h ahead of Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.87 USD

100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 25,832 VND (100,000 VND = 3.87 USD). 1 EUR = 28,757 VND (100,000 VND = 3.48 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Shanghai 2,160 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
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

Da Nang vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $889 in Da Nang, $1,222 in Shanghai – Da Nang comes out roughly 27% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,333 per month in Da Nang 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 Da Nang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $553 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Shanghai, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $20 in Da Nang and $30 in Shanghai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $889, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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