Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Haikou and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Haikou: $806 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Haikou
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Haikou Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Haikou

🇨🇳 China

$806

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Haikou versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Haikou $806
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,152 in Haikou versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Haikou $1,152
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,497 in Haikou versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Haikou $1,497
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Haikou costs roughly 35% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Haikou 40% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ¥29.45

$4.56 ¥30.47

-3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.72 ¥98.4

$30.21 ¥202

-51.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 ¥40.26

$5.25 ¥35.13

14.67%

Cappuccino

$2.43 ¥16.25

$3.28 ¥21.94

-25.91%

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

$0.86 ¥5.74

$0.57 ¥3.84

50.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.27

$0.36 ¥2.39

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.06

$1.23 ¥8.23

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 ¥18.18

$2.27 ¥15.18

19.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 ¥14.26

$1.84 ¥12.30

15.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ¥9.90

$1.96 ¥13.08

-24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ¥4.40

$1.03 ¥6.87

-35.92%

Eggs

$1.36 ¥9.07

$1.67 ¥11.16

-18.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.96 ¥113

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ¥26.23

$3.19 ¥21.33

22.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 ¥103

$12.90 ¥86.3

19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.30

$2.24 ¥15.00

-24.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 ¥5.80

$1.66 ¥11.13

-47.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.40

$2.02 ¥13.54

-45.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.24

$1.66 ¥11.08

-43.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.95

$0.77 ¥5.17

15.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.85

$0.93 ¥6.21

-21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ¥3.12

$0.63 ¥4.19

-25.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.83

$0.60 ¥3.99

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.68

$3.80 ¥25.44

-18.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 ¥58.6

$10.87 ¥72.7

-19.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.84

$0.82 ¥5.51

-30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 ¥8.23

$1.61 ¥10.76

-23.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.61 ¥4.11

50.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 ¥356

$29.40 ¥197

81.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ¥14.66

$2.11 ¥14.11

3.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.43 ¥2.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 ¥60.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥8.15

$1.33 ¥8.89

-8.27%

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

$19.0K ¥127.2K

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

$18.7K ¥125.1K

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

$35.41 ¥237

$57.8 ¥387

-38.75%

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

$13.21 ¥88.3

$8.09 ¥54.1

63.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.38 ¥89.4

$10.48 ¥70.0

27.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.67 ¥305

$65.7 ¥439

-30.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.33 ¥42.35

$17.82 ¥119

-64.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 ¥30.10

$8.95 ¥59.9

-49.72%

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

$862 ¥5,762

$1,414 ¥9,451

-39.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-30.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.00 ¥181

$54.0 ¥361

-49.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 ¥233

$37.09 ¥248

-5.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.76 ¥299

$74.3 ¥496

-39.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.57 ¥251

$106 ¥706

-64.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ¥2,523

$1,055 ¥7,056

-64.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,966

$585 ¥3,910

-49.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,808

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-77.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 ¥2,469

$1,232 ¥8,240

-70.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,154 ¥21.1K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-77.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,183 ¥14.6K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-65.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$727 ¥4,859

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-57.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.36

14.58%

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

Last update for Haikou: 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

Haikou

$294 36.5%

Shanghai

$585 47% 98.8% $291

Groceries & Markets

Haikou

$169 * 20.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 39.3% $66

Eating Out

Haikou

$100 12.4%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 5.8% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Haikou

$65 8.1%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 87.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Haikou

$62 7.7%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 23.2% $14

Getting Around

Haikou

$61 7.6%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 41.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Haikou

$55 6.8%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 52.9% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $377 in Haikou and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 135% 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: $15.00 in Haikou vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $169 vs $235 per month, with Haikou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Haikou

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

13:01 1:01 PM

Same time as Haikou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,873,358

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

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Between locations

Haikou Shanghai 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Haikou
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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

Haikou vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haikou and Shanghai differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($806 vs $1,244 including rent). Haikou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 135% lower in Shanghai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $377 in Haikou versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $806 per month in Haikou versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Haikou runs roughly 81% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $806 in Haikou versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Haikou but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Haikou 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 Haikou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.