Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Daegu and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,569 in Daegu, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. The total is higher in Daegu despite lower rent and utilities.

76

Cost of Living Index in Daegu
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Daegu Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Daegu

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,569

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,569 per month in Daegu vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Daegu $1,569
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Daegu vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Daegu $2,402
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $3,235 per month in Daegu vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Daegu $3,235
Shanghai $2,755

Daegu costs about 26% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Daegu sits 16% above the global median, while Shanghai is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 ₩12.3K

$4.56 ¥30.47

103.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.12 ₩49.4K

$30.21 ¥202

22.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.67 ₩7,536

$5.25 ¥35.13

8.00%

Cappuccino

$3.97 ₩5,284

$3.28 ¥21.94

21.04%

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

$1.56 ₩2,075

$0.57 ¥3.84

173.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 ₩1,202

$0.36 ¥2.39

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.82 ₩5,082

$1.23 ¥8.23

210.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₩7,204

$2.27 ¥15.18

138.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₩3,161

$1.84 ¥12.30

29.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.49 ₩5,976

$1.96 ¥13.08

129.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 ₩3,541

$1.03 ¥6.87

158.25%

Eggs

$2.72 ₩3,619

$1.67 ¥11.16

62.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ₩13.7K

$16.96 ¥113

-39.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.44 ₩9,888

$3.19 ¥21.33

133.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.76 ₩27.6K

$12.90 ¥86.3

60.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 ₩8,762

$2.24 ¥15.00

194.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 ₩3,577

$1.66 ¥11.13

62.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.72 ₩7,599

$2.02 ¥13.54

183.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.96 ₩7,921

$1.66 ¥11.08

259.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 ₩3,518

$0.77 ¥5.17

244.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 ₩2,735

$0.93 ¥6.21

121.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.35 ₩5,789

$0.63 ¥4.19

590.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₩1,825

$0.60 ¥3.99

128.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 ₩3,832

$3.80 ¥25.44

-24.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 ₩19.8K

$10.87 ¥72.7

37.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 ₩2,848

$0.82 ¥5.51

160.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₩3,317

$1.61 ¥10.76

54.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 ₩1,473

$0.61 ¥4.11

81.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.4 ₩101.5K

$29.40 ¥197

159.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ₩4,172

$2.11 ¥14.11

48.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 ₩811

$0.43 ¥2.87

41.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 ₩10.7K

$9.06 ¥60.6

-11.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ₩1,775

$1.33 ¥8.89

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

$28.5K ₩37.9M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

49.84%

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

$41.5K ₩55.1M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

121.59%

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

$280 ₩371.6K

$57.8 ¥387

383.48%

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

$50.5 ₩67.1K

$8.09 ¥54.1

523.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.09 ₩62.6K

$10.48 ¥70.0

349.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 ₩67.8K

$65.7 ¥439

-22.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 ₩15.8K

$17.82 ¥119

-33.28%

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 ₩15.0K

$8.95 ¥59.9

25.81%

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

$531 ₩706.4K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-62.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K ₩37.1M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

0.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 ₩74.8K

$54.0 ¥361

4.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 ₩66.9K

$37.09 ¥248

35.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ₩127.7K

$74.3 ¥496

29.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 ₩218.5K

$106 ¥706

55.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 ₩542.1K

$1,055 ¥7,056

-61.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ₩363.6K

$585 ¥3,910

-53.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 ₩1.4M

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-57.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 ₩806.7K

$1,232 ¥8,240

-50.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,125 ₩9.5M

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-48.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 ₩7.4M

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-11.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,478 ₩3.3M

$1,711 ¥11.4K

44.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

3.36

50.89%

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

Last update for Daegu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Daegu

$414 26.4%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 43.3% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Daegu

$377 24%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 79.7% $301

Accommodation & Living

Daegu

$273 17.4%

Shanghai

$585 47% 114% $311

Eating Out

Daegu

$179 11.4%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 40.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Daegu

$165 10.5%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 26.2% $43

Getting Around

Daegu

$87 5.5%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 58.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Daegu

$73 4.7%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 13.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $408 in Daegu versus $1,055 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 45% higher in Daegu, 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 $37.00 in Daegu versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $235 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Daegu

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h behind Daegu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,528,933

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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Daegu Shanghai 840 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Daegu vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,569 in Daegu, $1,244 in Shanghai – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,353 per month in Daegu and $1,865 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shanghai, 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 $37.00 in Daegu and $30.00 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 $1,569 in Daegu and $1,244 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 26%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Daegu at $1,569. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Daegu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Daegu makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.