Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fukui and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Fukui: $1,008 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Fukui
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Fukui Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Fukui

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,008

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,008 per month in Fukui vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Fukui $1,008
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,626 per month in Fukui vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Fukui $1,626
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $2,243 per month in Fukui vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Fukui $2,243
Shanghai $2,755

Fukui is about 19% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Fukui and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Fukui 25% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 ¥709

$4.56 ¥30.47

-1.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.10 ¥5,072

$30.21 ¥202

6.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.19 ¥504

$5.25 ¥35.13

-39.24%

Cappuccino

$2.37 ¥375

$3.28 ¥21.94

-27.74%

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

$0.80 ¥126

$0.57 ¥3.84

40.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥67.7

$0.36 ¥2.39

19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 ¥317

$1.23 ¥8.23

63.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ¥343

$2.27 ¥15.18

-4.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ¥134

$1.84 ¥12.30

-53.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 ¥216

$1.96 ¥13.08

-30.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ¥196

$1.03 ¥6.87

20.39%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥262

$1.67 ¥11.16

-0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 ¥1,765

$16.96 ¥113

-34.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 ¥544

$3.19 ¥21.33

7.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.51 ¥2,451

$12.90 ¥86.3

20.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 ¥941

$2.24 ¥15.00

166.07%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 ¥507

$1.66 ¥11.13

93.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 ¥923

$2.02 ¥13.54

189.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 ¥494

$1.66 ¥11.08

88.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 ¥292

$0.77 ¥5.17

140.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 ¥306

$0.93 ¥6.21

108.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 ¥204

$0.63 ¥4.19

104.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 ¥150

$0.60 ¥3.99

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ¥529

$3.80 ¥25.44

-11.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 ¥966

$10.87 ¥72.7

-43.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥274

$0.82 ¥5.51

112.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥231

$1.61 ¥10.76

-9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 ¥230

$0.61 ¥4.11

139.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 ¥8,369

$29.40 ¥197

80.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 ¥507

$2.11 ¥14.11

52.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 ¥307

$0.43 ¥2.87

353.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.16 ¥4,924

$9.06 ¥60.6

243.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥164

$1.33 ¥8.89

-21.80%

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

$8,960 ¥1.4M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

-52.90%

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

$12.2K ¥1.9M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-34.78%

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

$88.2 ¥13.9K

$57.8 ¥387

52.62%

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

$12.78 ¥2,019

$8.09 ¥54.1

57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.13 ¥6,024

$10.48 ¥70.0

263.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.4 ¥8,121

$65.7 ¥439

-21.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.63 ¥573

$17.82 ¥119

-79.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.13 ¥1,126

$8.95 ¥59.9

-20.34%

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

$323 ¥51.1K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-77.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,523 ¥1.5M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-65.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.97 ¥2,996

$54.0 ¥361

-64.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.56 ¥1,984

$37.09 ¥248

-66.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.04 ¥5,062

$74.3 ¥496

-56.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.48 ¥4,974

$106 ¥706

-70.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$538 ¥84.9K

$1,055 ¥7,056

-49.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$327 ¥51.6K

$585 ¥3,910

-44.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 ¥172.5K

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-56.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 ¥115.3K

$1,232 ¥8,240

-40.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,207 ¥664.6K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-69.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,823 ¥288.1K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-70.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,924 ¥304.0K

$1,711 ¥11.4K

12.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

-70.24%

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

Last update for Fukui: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fukui

$327 32.4%

Shanghai

$585 47% 79% $258

Groceries & Markets

Fukui

$269 26.7%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 12.7% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fukui

$139 13.8%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 45.1% $63

Eating Out

Fukui

$93 9.3%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 13.7% $13

Getting Around

Fukui

$72 7.1%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 49.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Fukui

$66 6.5%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 27.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Fukui

$43 4.2%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 185% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $538 in Fukui 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 12% higher in Fukui, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Fukui versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $235 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Fukui

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

18:59 6:59 PM

17:59 5:59 PM

1 h behind Fukui

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,428

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fukui Shanghai 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Fukui
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

Fukui vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,008 in Fukui, $1,244 in Shanghai – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,512 per month in Fukui 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 Fukui, 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 $32.00 in Fukui 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 $1,008 in Fukui and $1,244 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 23%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Fukui, where all-in costs run around $1,008, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Fukui it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Fukui – 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 Fukui. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.