Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gongzhuling and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Gongzhuling: $591 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Gongzhuling
Learn more

Gongzhuling Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 China

$591

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $591 per month in Gongzhuling vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Gongzhuling $591
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $946 per month in Gongzhuling vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Gongzhuling $946
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,300 per month in Gongzhuling vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Gongzhuling $1,300
Shanghai $2,755

Gongzhuling is about 52% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Gongzhuling and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Gongzhuling 56% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.10 ¥14.06

$4.56 ¥30.47

-53.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.39 ¥110

$30.21 ¥202

-45.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.60 ¥30.75

$5.25 ¥35.13

-12.38%

Cappuccino

$1.98 ¥13.24

$3.28 ¥21.94

-39.63%

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

$0.43 ¥2.91

$0.57 ¥3.84

-24.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.54

$0.36 ¥2.39

-36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 ¥4.84

$1.23 ¥8.23

-41.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 ¥10.75

$2.27 ¥15.18

-29.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.74

$1.84 ¥12.30

-28.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 ¥14.60

$1.96 ¥13.08

11.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$1.03 ¥6.87

4.85%

Eggs

$1.03 ¥6.86

$1.67 ¥11.16

-38.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 ¥49.77

$16.96 ¥113

-56.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ¥24.45

$3.19 ¥21.33

14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.21 ¥61.6

$12.90 ¥86.3

-28.60%

Apples (1kg)

$0.59 ¥3.93

$2.24 ¥15.00

-73.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ¥4.34

$1.66 ¥11.13

-60.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.60

$2.02 ¥13.54

-73.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$1.66 ¥11.08

-74.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.77 ¥5.17

-40.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 ¥3.59

$0.93 ¥6.21

-41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.63 ¥4.19

-31.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.85

$0.60 ¥3.99

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 ¥24.63

$3.80 ¥25.44

-3.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 ¥70.0

$10.87 ¥72.7

-3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ¥4.27

$0.82 ¥5.51

-21.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.61 ¥10.76

-29.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.61 ¥4.11

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.64 ¥118

$29.40 ¥197

-40.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 ¥7.67

$2.11 ¥14.11

-45.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.37

$0.43 ¥2.87

-18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 ¥17.56

$9.06 ¥60.6

-70.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.35

$1.33 ¥8.89

-6.02%

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

$19.1K ¥127.6K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

0.29%

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

$16.4K ¥109.8K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-12.25%

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

$28.49 ¥190

$57.8 ¥387

-50.72%

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

$5.81 ¥38.84

$8.09 ¥54.1

-28.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.41 ¥69.6

$10.48 ¥70.0

-0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.01 ¥281

$65.7 ¥439

-36.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 ¥103

$17.82 ¥119

-13.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 ¥34.25

$8.95 ¥59.9

-42.79%

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

$400 ¥2,673

$1,414 ¥9,451

-71.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ¥76.7K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-58.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.10 ¥108

$54.0 ¥361

-70.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.24 ¥149

$37.09 ¥248

-40.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 ¥397

$74.3 ¥496

-20.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.86 ¥300

$106 ¥706

-57.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 ¥2,009

$1,055 ¥7,056

-71.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 ¥1,233

$585 ¥3,910

-68.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 ¥4,261

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-74.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,505

$1,232 ¥8,240

-69.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ¥23.3K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-74.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,926 ¥12.9K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-69.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ¥2,280

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-80.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

3.36

4.17%

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

Last update for Gongzhuling: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gongzhuling

$184 31.2%

Shanghai

$585 47% 217% $400

Groceries & Markets

Gongzhuling

$160 27.1%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 46.5% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 90.1% $58

Eating Out

Gongzhuling

$64 10.8%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 66% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Gongzhuling

$52 8.8%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 60% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gongzhuling

$45 7.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 70.8% $32

Getting Around

Gongzhuling

$22 3.7%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 65.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $300 in Gongzhuling 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 402% higher in Shanghai, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in Gongzhuling versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $160 vs $235 – making Gongzhuling the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Gongzhuling

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

15:39 3:39 PM

Same time as Gongzhuling

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

862,313

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gongzhuling Shanghai 1,420 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Gongzhuling
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

Gongzhuling vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $887 per month in Gongzhuling 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 Gongzhuling, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $400 per month in Gongzhuling and $1,414 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gongzhuling, where all-in costs run around $591, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Gongzhuling it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gongzhuling – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Gongzhuling. 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.