Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Shanghai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $798 in Dalian versus $1,220 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,254 in Dalian versus $1,946 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,711 in Dalian versus $2,672 in Shanghai.

Living in Dalian costs roughly 35% less than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dalian 40% lower, Shanghai 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 ¥23.29

$4.73 ¥32.39

-28.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.55 ¥168

$36.90 ¥253

-33.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥34.03

$5.41 ¥37.03

-8.13%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ¥21.42

$3.42 ¥23.41

-8.48%

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

$0.51 ¥3.48

$0.55 ¥3.76

-7.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ¥1.64

$0.34 ¥2.32

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 ¥5.64

$1.41 ¥9.63

-41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.55

$2.87 ¥19.67

-46.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.94

$2.08 ¥14.23

-23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ¥9.93

$1.80 ¥12.30

-19.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.24

$1.05 ¥7.18

-13.33%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥13.78

$1.63 ¥11.14

23.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.42 ¥133

$15.36 ¥105

26.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 ¥18.44

$3.08 ¥21.10

-12.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 ¥69.9

$10.97 ¥75.1

-7.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.78

$2.37 ¥16.24

-45.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.91

$1.77 ¥12.13

-34.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 ¥9.09

$1.73 ¥11.88

-23.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.86

$1.47 ¥10.05

-51.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.61

$0.78 ¥5.37

-14.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ¥4.91

$1.13 ¥7.71

-36.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.17

$0.68 ¥4.63

10.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.13

$0.60 ¥4.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ¥23.46

$2.82 ¥19.28

21.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.45 ¥120

$11.86 ¥81.2

47.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.70

$0.80 ¥5.45

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.36

$1.60 ¥10.98

-5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥2.01

$0.44 ¥3.00

-34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.80 ¥190

$35.13 ¥241

-20.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.33

$2.20 ¥15.09

-38.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.72

$0.41 ¥2.80

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 ¥27.69

$8.25 ¥56.5

-51.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.87

$1.10 ¥7.56

4.55%

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

$17.8K ¥122.2K

$19.8K ¥135.7K

-9.97%

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

$16.0K ¥109.7K

$18.1K ¥124.2K

-11.68%

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

$43.53 ¥298

$51.3 ¥351

-15.11%

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

$9.10 ¥62.3

$8.47 ¥58.0

7.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.45 ¥78.4

$13.92 ¥95.4

-17.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.04 ¥247

$46.61 ¥319

-22.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.92 ¥164

$20.15 ¥138

18.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.44 ¥44.10

$8.26 ¥56.6

-22.03%

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

$455 ¥3,118

$1,309 ¥8,969

-65.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,374 ¥64.2K

$32.0K ¥219.3K

-70.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ¥386

$58.2 ¥399

-3.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 ¥354

$38.09 ¥261

35.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ¥734

$78.9 ¥540

35.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 ¥651

$96.4 ¥660

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 ¥2,412

$963 ¥6,595

-63.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 ¥1,418

$563 ¥3,859

-63.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$636 ¥4,357

$2,490 ¥17.1K

-74.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 ¥2,498

$1,197 ¥8,198

-69.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,664 ¥18.3K

$13.8K ¥94.9K

-80.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,650 ¥11.3K

$7,279 ¥49.9K

-77.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,098 ¥7,523

$1,671 ¥11.4K

-34.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

3.58

16.76%

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

Last update for Dalian: April 26, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $352 in Dalian and $963 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai 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: $25.00 in Dalian vs $37.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $226 per month, with Dalian cheaper across the board.

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

Dalian vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dalian and Shanghai differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($798 vs $1,220 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shanghai earns 52% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $352 in Dalian versus $963 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $455 in Dalian versus $1,309 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $798 in Dalian versus $1,220 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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.

Expats usually find Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.