Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heyuan and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Heyuan: $792 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Heyuan
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Heyuan Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Heyuan

🇨🇳 China

$792

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $792 per month in Heyuan vs $1,256 in Shanghai, rent included.

Heyuan $792
Shanghai $1,256

A couple spends around $1,284 per month in Heyuan vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Heyuan $1,284
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,776 per month in Heyuan vs $2,743 in Shanghai, rent included.

Heyuan $1,776
Shanghai $2,743

Heyuan is about 37% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Heyuan and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Heyuan 42% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ¥20.39

$4.45 ¥29.70

-31.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.30 ¥195

$30.29 ¥202

-3.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.34 ¥35.60

$5.09 ¥33.93

4.91%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ¥20.42

$3.43 ¥22.90

-10.79%

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

$0.58 ¥3.86

$0.62 ¥4.14

-6.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.24

$0.39 ¥2.57

-12.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.09

$1.23 ¥8.23

10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥18.33

$2.21 ¥14.77

24.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.93

$1.85 ¥12.34

-3.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 ¥12.72

$1.95 ¥12.99

-2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.37

$1.00 ¥6.65

11.00%

Eggs

$1.52 ¥10.17

$1.71 ¥11.41

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 ¥109

$17.47 ¥117

-6.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 ¥34.29

$3.24 ¥21.61

58.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 ¥81.6

$12.99 ¥86.6

-5.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 ¥15.25

$2.24 ¥14.95

2.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 ¥8.16

$1.68 ¥11.22

-27.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ¥9.20

$1.95 ¥13.00

-29.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.86

$1.73 ¥11.57

2.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 ¥6.39

$0.76 ¥5.09

26.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.90

$0.92 ¥6.14

28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ¥5.54

$0.66 ¥4.40

25.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ¥4.43

$0.60 ¥3.99

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 ¥25.98

$3.69 ¥24.59

5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 ¥70.9

$10.92 ¥72.9

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.77

$0.87 ¥5.83

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ¥12.68

$1.63 ¥10.84

16.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.62 ¥4.12

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.71 ¥118

$30.38 ¥203

-41.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ¥12.29

$2.06 ¥13.76

-10.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.46 ¥3.07

-6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.19 ¥47.93

$8.84 ¥59.0

-18.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.86

$1.33 ¥8.84

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

$19.2K ¥127.8K

$19.3K ¥128.4K

-0.51%

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

$17.7K ¥118.3K

$18.2K ¥121.7K

-2.76%

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

$61.4 ¥409

$57.1 ¥381

7.44%

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

$16.39 ¥109

$8.07 ¥53.8

103.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.49 ¥96.6

$10.70 ¥71.3

35.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.17 ¥275

$64.6 ¥431

-36.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.11 ¥101

$17.29 ¥115

-12.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 ¥43.61

$9.05 ¥60.3

-27.73%

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

$422 ¥2,816

$1,441 ¥9,614

-70.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥163.0K

$28.2K ¥188.0K

-13.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.24 ¥328

$53.5 ¥357

-8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.47 ¥277

$37.05 ¥247

11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 ¥541

$77.0 ¥513

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 ¥466

$104 ¥693

-32.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 ¥2,021

$1,023 ¥6,825

-70.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$182 ¥1,215

$594 ¥3,961

-69.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 ¥4,155

$2,563 ¥17.1K

-75.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ¥2,501

$1,213 ¥8,088

-69.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,487 ¥23.3K

$13.5K ¥90.2K

-74.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 ¥12.9K

$6,247 ¥41.7K

-68.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,362 ¥9,082

$1,699 ¥11.3K

-19.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.38

3.36

0.60%

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

Last update for Heyuan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Heyuan

$239 30.1%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 0.4% $1

Accommodation & Living

Heyuan

$182 23%

Shanghai

$594 47.3% 226% $412

Clothing & Footwear

Heyuan

$109 13.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 12.3% $13

Eating Out

Heyuan

$93 11.8%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 14.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Heyuan

$92 11.6%

Shanghai

$76 6% 17.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Heyuan

$54 6.9%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 52.5% $28

Getting Around

Heyuan

$23 2.9%

Shanghai

$37 3% 62% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $303 in Heyuan versus $1,023 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 25% 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 $29.00 in Heyuan versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Heyuan vs $238 in Shanghai – so Shanghai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Heyuan

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Heyuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,953,019

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

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Between locations

Heyuan Shanghai 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Heyuan
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

Heyuan vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $792 in Heyuan, $1,256 in Shanghai – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,188 per month in Heyuan and $1,884 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Heyuan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Shanghai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Heyuan and $30.00 in Shanghai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Heyuan, where all-in costs run around $792, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Heyuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Heyuan – 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 Heyuan. 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.