Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hirakata and Shanghai

For one person, living costs are similar in Hirakata and in Shanghai: $1,220 and $1,256 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Hirakata
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Hirakata Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Hirakata

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,220

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,220 in Hirakata versus $1,256 in Shanghai.

Hirakata $1,220
Shanghai $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,929 in Hirakata versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Hirakata $1,929
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,638 in Hirakata versus $2,743 in Shanghai.

Hirakata $2,638
Shanghai $2,743

Living in Hirakata costs roughly 3% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Hirakata 10% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.59 ¥1,356

$4.45 ¥29.78

93.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.38 ¥4,958

$30.29 ¥203

3.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 ¥786

$5.09 ¥34.01

-2.36%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ¥458

$3.43 ¥22.96

-15.45%

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

$1.29 ¥204

$0.62 ¥4.15

108.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ¥114

$0.39 ¥2.58

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 ¥486

$1.23 ¥8.25

149.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 ¥611

$2.21 ¥14.81

75.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ¥228

$1.85 ¥12.37

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 ¥206

$1.95 ¥13.02

-32.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 ¥867

$1.00 ¥6.67

449.00%

Eggs

$2.05 ¥324

$1.71 ¥11.43

19.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 ¥1,474

$17.47 ¥117

-46.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.93 ¥1,095

$3.24 ¥21.66

113.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 ¥2,725

$12.99 ¥86.8

32.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ¥536

$2.24 ¥14.98

51.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 ¥307

$1.68 ¥11.25

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 ¥489

$1.95 ¥13.03

58.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 ¥652

$1.73 ¥11.60

138.73%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 ¥637

$0.76 ¥5.10

430.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.82 ¥603

$0.92 ¥6.15

315.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 ¥216

$0.66 ¥4.41

106.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ¥138

$0.60 ¥4.00

46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 ¥623

$3.69 ¥24.65

6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 ¥1,531

$10.92 ¥73.0

-11.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 ¥412

$0.87 ¥5.85

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥495

$1.63 ¥10.87

92.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 ¥236

$0.62 ¥4.13

140.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 ¥8,365

$30.38 ¥203

74.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.06 ¥13.79

57.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 ¥510

$0.46 ¥3.08

602.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.59 ¥2,462

$8.84 ¥59.1

76.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥168

$1.33 ¥8.86

-20.30%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$19.3K ¥128.7K

14.16%

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

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$18.2K ¥122.0K

-15.95%

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

$114 ¥18.1K

$57.1 ¥382

100.44%

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

$23.50 ¥3,713

$8.07 ¥53.9

191.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.41 ¥4,805

$10.70 ¥71.5

184.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 ¥8,291

$64.6 ¥432

-18.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.47 ¥1,022

$17.29 ¥116

-62.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 ¥1,806

$9.05 ¥60.5

26.30%

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

$513 ¥81.1K

$1,441 ¥9,638

-64.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K ¥2.1M

$28.2K ¥188.4K

-53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.40 ¥7,646

$53.5 ¥358

-9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.44 ¥4,810

$37.05 ¥248

-17.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 ¥9,710

$77.0 ¥515

-20.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 ¥14.3K

$104 ¥694

-12.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 ¥83.0K

$1,023 ¥6,841

-48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥53.1K

$594 ¥3,971

-43.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 ¥177.1K

$2,563 ¥17.1K

-56.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$729 ¥115.2K

$1,213 ¥8,107

-39.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,201 ¥663.7K

$13.5K ¥90.4K

-68.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,730 ¥273.3K

$6,247 ¥41.8K

-72.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,904 ¥300.9K

$1,699 ¥11.4K

12.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

3.36

-39.88%

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

Last update for Hirakata: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hirakata

$336 27.5%

Shanghai

$594 47.3% 76.8% $258

Groceries & Markets

Hirakata

$308 25.3%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 22.9% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hirakata

$168 13.8%

Shanghai

$76 6% 54.9% $93

Eating Out

Hirakata

$150 12.3%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 28.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Hirakata

$104 8.5%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 17.5% $18

Getting Around

Hirakata

$78 6.4%

Shanghai

$37 3% 52.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Hirakata

$75 6.2%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 9.8% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $525 in Hirakata and $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hirakata pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Hirakata vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $308 vs $238 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Hirakata

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

12:06 12:06 PM

1 h behind Hirakata

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

402,495

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 21, 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 21, 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 →

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Between locations

Hirakata Shanghai 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hirakata
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

Hirakata vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hirakata and Shanghai differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,220 vs $1,256 including rent). Hirakata is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Hirakata, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $525 in Hirakata versus $1,023 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hirakata runs roughly 74% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $513 in Hirakata versus $1,441 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,220 in Hirakata versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hirakata but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Hirakata 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.

Safety-wise, Hirakata and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hirakata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.