Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Datong and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Datong: $709 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Datong
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Datong Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Datong

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $709 in Datong versus $1,222 in Shanghai.

Datong $709
Shanghai $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,127 in Datong versus $1,971 in Shanghai.

Datong $1,127
Shanghai $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,545 in Datong versus $2,720 in Shanghai.

Datong $1,545
Shanghai $2,720

Living in Datong costs roughly 42% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Datong 48% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 ¥18.23

$4.53 ¥30.11

-39.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.65 ¥144

$30.16 ¥201

-28.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 ¥33.15

$5.11 ¥34.04

-2.54%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ¥19.65

$3.41 ¥22.70

-13.49%

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

$0.46 ¥3.08

$0.58 ¥3.85

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.77

$0.35 ¥2.36

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.88

$1.23 ¥8.22

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ¥13.50

$2.31 ¥15.37

-12.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥11.99

$1.88 ¥12.52

-4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.28

$1.94 ¥12.88

-20.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.36

$0.98 ¥6.52

-2.04%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.71

$1.70 ¥11.31

-5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.09 ¥87.1

$17.02 ¥113

-23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ¥21.48

$3.22 ¥21.41

0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.09 ¥67.1

$12.93 ¥86.0

-21.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.01

$2.15 ¥14.31

-15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.01

$1.73 ¥11.48

-30.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥9.98

$2.03 ¥13.51

-26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.57

$1.73 ¥11.54

-34.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.87

$0.83 ¥5.51

-12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$0.92 ¥6.13

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.70

$0.67 ¥4.48

-16.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.42

$0.59 ¥3.92

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 ¥20.62

$3.77 ¥25.10

-17.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.40 ¥69.2

$11.03 ¥73.4

-5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.05

$0.90 ¥6.00

-15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥10.91

$1.60 ¥10.67

2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.77

$0.57 ¥3.81

-52.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.53 ¥110

$29.62 ¥197

-44.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.35

$2.14 ¥14.25

-34.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.35

$0.47 ¥3.10

-25.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥44.57

$8.74 ¥58.2

-23.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$1.34 ¥8.93

-12.69%

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

$19.4K ¥129.2K

$19.3K ¥128.1K

0.82%

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

$17.2K ¥114.2K

$18.3K ¥121.7K

-6.14%

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

$45.68 ¥304

$58.9 ¥392

-22.44%

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

$9.63 ¥64.1

$7.90 ¥52.5

21.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.68 ¥77.8

$10.60 ¥70.5

10.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 ¥274

$64.8 ¥431

-36.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.73 ¥91.4

$17.47 ¥116

-21.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.87 ¥39.05

$9.06 ¥60.3

-35.21%

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

$337 ¥2,242

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-78.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K ¥113.2K

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-39.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.28 ¥288

$54.6 ¥363

-20.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.52 ¥203

$37.21 ¥248

-17.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ¥480

$74.6 ¥496

-3.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 ¥484

$106 ¥707

-31.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,821

$1,026 ¥6,826

-73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 ¥1,257

$559 ¥3,722

-66.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,955

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-77.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,383

$1,191 ¥7,926

-69.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,019 ¥20.1K

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-77.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 ¥13.4K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-69.06%

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 Datong: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Datong

$198 27.9%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 19.7% $39

Accommodation & Living

Datong

$189 26.6%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 196% $370

Clothing & Footwear

Datong

$98 13.9%

Shanghai

$123 10% 24.6% $24

Eating Out

Datong

$84 11.8%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 27.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Datong

$67 9.5%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 15.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Datong

$53 7.5%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 56.6% $30

Getting Around

Datong

$21 2.9%

Shanghai

$36 3% 75.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Datong and $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Datong vs $30 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $237 per month, with Datong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Datong

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

Same time as Datong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,318,057

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

Datong Shanghai 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Datong
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

Datong vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Datong wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Datong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,064 in Datong and $1,833 in Shanghai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $274 in Datong versus $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $337 in Datong versus $1,587 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Datong versus $1,222 in Shanghai, a $800 budget is realistic in Datong but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Datong 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 Datong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.