Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Handan and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Handan: $691 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Handan
Learn more

Handan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Handan

🇨🇳 China

$691

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $691 per month in Handan vs $1,222 in Shanghai, rent included.

Handan $691
Shanghai $1,222

A couple spends around $1,040 per month in Handan vs $1,971 in Shanghai, rent included.

Handan $1,040
Shanghai $1,971

A family of three spends $1,390 per month in Handan vs $2,720 in Shanghai, rent included.

Handan $1,390
Shanghai $2,720

Handan is about 43% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Handan and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Handan 49% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.83 ¥12.16

$4.53 ¥30.11

-59.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.67 ¥118

$30.16 ¥201

-41.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.45 ¥29.62

$5.11 ¥34.03

-12.92%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ¥17.82

$3.41 ¥22.70

-21.41%

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

$0.42 ¥2.82

$0.58 ¥3.85

-27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 ¥1.53

$0.35 ¥2.36

-34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.71 ¥4.75

$1.23 ¥8.22

-42.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥9.83

$2.31 ¥15.37

-35.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥10.10

$1.88 ¥12.52

-19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 ¥4.86

$1.94 ¥12.88

-62.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.88

$0.98 ¥6.52

-25.51%

Eggs

$0.98 ¥6.49

$1.70 ¥11.31

-42.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 ¥79.8

$17.02 ¥113

-29.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.97 ¥19.77

$3.22 ¥21.41

-7.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 ¥74.4

$12.93 ¥86.0

-13.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.39

$2.15 ¥14.31

-34.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$1.73 ¥11.48

-63.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ¥9.57

$2.03 ¥13.51

-29.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.61

$1.73 ¥11.54

-34.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.83 ¥5.51

-62.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.31 ¥2.06

$0.92 ¥6.13

-66.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.75

$0.67 ¥4.48

-16.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ¥2.54

$0.59 ¥3.92

-35.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 ¥24.86

$3.77 ¥25.10

-0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 ¥67.0

$11.03 ¥73.4

-8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ¥4.69

$0.90 ¥6.00

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ¥9.04

$1.60 ¥10.67

-15.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.57 ¥3.81

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.24 ¥121

$29.62 ¥197

-38.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 ¥6.25

$2.14 ¥14.25

-56.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.47 ¥3.10

-42.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 ¥29.52

$8.74 ¥58.2

-49.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.75

$1.34 ¥8.93

-1.49%

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

$19.5K ¥129.9K

$19.3K ¥128.1K

1.44%

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

$14.9K ¥99.0K

$18.3K ¥121.6K

-18.60%

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

$73.0 ¥486

$58.9 ¥392

23.89%

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

$4.58 ¥30.47

$7.90 ¥52.5

-42.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.09 ¥33.88

$10.60 ¥70.5

-51.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.16 ¥274

$64.8 ¥431

-36.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 ¥114

$17.47 ¥116

-2.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 ¥29.30

$9.06 ¥60.3

-51.43%

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

$213 ¥1,419

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-86.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K ¥132.5K

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-29.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.04 ¥200

$54.6 ¥363

-44.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.53 ¥283

$37.21 ¥248

14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.47 ¥303

$74.6 ¥496

-39.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 ¥461

$106 ¥707

-34.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 ¥1,955

$1,026 ¥6,825

-71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 ¥1,413

$559 ¥3,721

-62.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥4,395

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-74.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$338 ¥2,246

$1,191 ¥7,926

-71.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 ¥18.6K

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-79.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,092 ¥13.9K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-67.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$651 ¥4,331

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-61.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

-10.71%

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

Last update for Handan: October 26, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Handan

$212 30.7%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 163% $347

Groceries & Markets

Handan

$171 24.7%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 38.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Handan

$84 12.2%

Shanghai

$123 10% 45.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Handan

$83 12%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 6.4% $5.3

Eating Out

Handan

$69 10%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 54.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Handan

$50 7.2%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 65.9% $33

Getting Around

Handan

$22 3.2%

Shanghai

$36 3% 67% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Handan versus $1,026 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 in Shanghai are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Handan versus $30 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $171 vs $237 – making Handan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Handan

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

Same time as Handan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,413,990

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Handan Shanghai 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Handan
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

Handan vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Handan and $1,833 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Handan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $294 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Handan and $30 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 $691 in Handan and $1,222 in Shanghai. That makes Handan about 43% cheaper.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Handan, where all-in costs run around $691, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Handan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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