Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dongying and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongying: $709 a month against $1,246 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Dongying
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Dongying Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Dongying

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $709 in Dongying versus $1,246 in Shanghai.

Dongying $709
Shanghai $1,246

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,128 in Dongying versus $1,991 in Shanghai.

Dongying $1,128
Shanghai $1,991

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,547 in Dongying versus $2,737 in Shanghai.

Dongying $1,547
Shanghai $2,737

Living in Dongying costs roughly 43% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dongying 48% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.73 ¥18.18

$4.44 ¥29.62

-38.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.79 ¥145

$30.13 ¥201

-27.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 ¥32.30

$5.27 ¥35.12

-7.97%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ¥19.99

$3.28 ¥21.87

-8.54%

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

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.60 ¥3.99

-21.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.37 ¥2.44

-27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.90 ¥5.98

$1.31 ¥8.74

-31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ¥13.65

$2.51 ¥16.75

-18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.93

$1.88 ¥12.55

-4.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ¥10.45

$2.02 ¥13.43

-22.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.41

$1.04 ¥6.93

-7.69%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.58

$1.81 ¥12.05

-12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 ¥85.9

$17.84 ¥119

-27.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥20.78

$3.36 ¥22.38

-7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.05 ¥67.0

$13.21 ¥88.1

-23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.06

$2.25 ¥15.02

-19.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.10

$1.76 ¥11.70

-30.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.23

$2.03 ¥13.51

-24.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.28

$1.76 ¥11.71

-38.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$0.82 ¥5.49

-14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.92

$0.93 ¥6.22

-4.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 ¥3.68

$0.67 ¥4.48

-17.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.67

$0.59 ¥3.91

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ¥20.76

$4.09 ¥27.25

-23.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.54 ¥70.3

$11.04 ¥73.6

-4.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.03

$0.90 ¥6.00

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ¥11.07

$1.63 ¥10.89

1.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.47 ¥3.15

-38.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.81 ¥112

$30.05 ¥200

-44.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 ¥9.51

$2.17 ¥14.47

-34.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.46 ¥3.09

-21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.70 ¥44.67

$9.25 ¥61.7

-27.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ¥7.75

$1.33 ¥8.90

-12.78%

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

$19.7K ¥131.1K

$19.8K ¥132.0K

-0.73%

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

$17.1K ¥114.1K

$18.4K ¥122.8K

-7.08%

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

$45.40 ¥303

$58.1 ¥387

-21.79%

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

$9.92 ¥66.1

$8.00 ¥53.3

24.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.93 ¥79.5

$10.68 ¥71.2

11.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 ¥273

$65.7 ¥438

-37.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 ¥91.8

$17.61 ¥117

-21.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.79 ¥38.62

$8.78 ¥58.5

-34.05%

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

$333 ¥2,219

$1,477 ¥9,845

-77.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K ¥110.4K

$44.6K ¥297.2K

-62.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.38 ¥289

$54.6 ¥364

-20.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.64 ¥204

$36.73 ¥245

-16.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 ¥476

$75.4 ¥502

-5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 ¥470

$106 ¥706

-33.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ¥1,835

$1,056 ¥7,039

-73.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,267

$578 ¥3,849

-67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 ¥3,884

$2,661 ¥17.7K

-78.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,422

$1,195 ¥7,964

-69.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,976 ¥19.8K

$13.8K ¥92.0K

-78.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,056 ¥13.7K

$6,434 ¥42.9K

-68.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,760 ¥11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.3

17.88%

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

Last update for Dongying: October 31, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dongying

$197 27.8%

Shanghai

$243 19.5% 23.3% $46

Accommodation & Living

Dongying

$190 26.8%

Shanghai

$578 46.4% 204% $387

Clothing & Footwear

Dongying

$97 13.7%

Shanghai

$123 9.9% 26.2% $25

Eating Out

Dongying

$84 11.8%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 26.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dongying

$67 9.5%

Shanghai

$77 6.2% 14.1% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dongying

$53 7.4%

Shanghai

$83 6.7% 58.1% $31

Getting Around

Dongying

$21 3%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 72.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Dongying and $1,056 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22 in Dongying vs $30 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $243 per month, with Dongying cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Dongying

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

Same time as Dongying

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,035,300

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dongying Shanghai 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dongying
Shanghai

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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

Dongying vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongying is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,064 in Dongying and $1,869 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: $275 in Dongying versus $1,056 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $333 in Dongying versus $1,477 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $709 in Dongying versus $1,246 in Shanghai, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dongying but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Dongying 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 Dongying gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.