Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dededo and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,256 a month against $2,734 in Dededo, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Dededo

🇬🇺 Guam

$2,734

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in Dededo versus $1,256 in Shanghai.

Dededo $2,734
Shanghai $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,908 in Dededo versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Dededo $3,908
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,082 in Dededo versus $2,743 in Shanghai.

Dededo $5,082
Shanghai $2,743

Living in Dededo is roughly 118% more expensive than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dededo is 102% above, Shanghai is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.58 $24.58

$4.45 ¥29.70

452.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.68 $49.68

$30.29 ¥202

64.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.93 $16.93

$5.09 ¥33.93

232.61%

Cappuccino

$4.47 $4.47

$3.43 ¥22.90

30.32%

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

$1.12 $1.12

$0.62 ¥4.14

80.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.39 ¥2.57

164.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.23 ¥8.23

130.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 ¥14.77

Milk (1 liter)

$6.97 $6.97

$1.85 ¥12.34

276.76%

White Bread (500g)

$9.23 $9.23

$1.95 ¥12.99

373.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.00 ¥6.65

122.00%

Eggs

$7.03 $7.03

$1.71 ¥11.41

311.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 ¥117

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.09 $18.09

$3.24 ¥21.61

458.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 ¥86.6

Apples (1kg)

$7.99 $7.99

$2.24 ¥14.95

256.70%

Banana (1kg)

$8.07 $8.07

$1.68 ¥11.22

380.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$1.95 ¥13.00

421.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$9.78 $9.78

$1.73 ¥11.57

465.32%

Potato (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$0.76 ¥5.09

722.37%

Onion (1kg)

$8.48 $8.48

$0.92 ¥6.14

821.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.48 $4.48

$0.66 ¥4.40

578.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.60 ¥3.99

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.23 $9.23

$3.69 ¥24.59

150.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.99 $22.99

$10.92 ¥72.9

110.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.87 ¥5.83

180.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.63 ¥10.84

212.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 ¥4.12

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 ¥203

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ¥13.76

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 ¥3.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.84 ¥59.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.84

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

$19.3K ¥128.4K

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

$18.2K ¥121.7K

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

$203 $203

$57.1 ¥381

255.58%

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

$49.16 $49.16

$8.07 ¥53.8

509.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 $50.8

$10.70 ¥71.3

374.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥431

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥115

Cinema Ticket

$9.05 ¥60.3

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

$1,441 ¥9,614

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K ¥188.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$53.5 ¥357

10.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$98.5 $98.5

$37.05 ¥247

165.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$77.0 ¥513

32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$104 ¥693

15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,635 $1,635

$1,023 ¥6,825

59.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,322 $1,322

$594 ¥3,961

122.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,231 $3,231

$2,563 ¥17.1K

26.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,003 $2,003

$1,213 ¥8,088

65.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K ¥90.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 ¥41.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$1,699 ¥11.3K

123.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Dededo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dededo

–

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

Groceries & Markets

Dededo

–

Shanghai

$238 18.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Dededo

–

Shanghai

$122 9.7%

Eating Out

Dededo

–

Shanghai

$107 8.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Dededo

–

Shanghai

$83 6.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dededo

–

Shanghai

$76 6%

Getting Around

Dededo

–

Shanghai

$37 3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,635 in Dededo and $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dededo pays 124% 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: $50.0 in Dededo vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $614 vs $238 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇺 Dededo

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

00:53 12:53 AM

22:53 10:53 PM

2 h behind Dededo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,000

24,870,895

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 6.67 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

CNY to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Dededo Shanghai 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dededo
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

Dededo vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai wins on cost – living expenses run 118% lower than in Dededo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shanghai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 124% higher in Dededo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,635 in Dededo versus $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,734 per month in Dededo versus $1,256 in Shanghai – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 158% higher in Dededo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Shanghai versus $2,734 in Dededo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Dededo. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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.

Safety-wise, Dededo and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Dededo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.