Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huai'an and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Huai'an: $712 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Huai'an
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Huai'an Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Huai'an

🇨🇳 China

$712

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $712 per month in Huai'an vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Huai'an $712
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,127 per month in Huai'an vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Huai'an $1,127
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,542 per month in Huai'an vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Huai'an $1,542
Shanghai $2,755

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

Both Huai'an and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Huai'an 47% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.84 ¥19.02

$4.56 ¥30.47

-37.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.39 ¥143

$30.21 ¥202

-29.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ¥32.31

$5.25 ¥35.13

-8.00%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ¥20.65

$3.28 ¥21.94

-5.79%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.57 ¥3.84

-24.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.36 ¥2.39

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 ¥5.86

$1.23 ¥8.23

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 ¥14.37

$2.27 ¥15.18

-5.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ¥11.97

$1.84 ¥12.30

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥10.33

$1.96 ¥13.08

-20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.31

$1.03 ¥6.87

-8.74%

Eggs

$1.60 ¥10.67

$1.67 ¥11.16

-4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 ¥86.7

$16.96 ¥113

-23.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.15 ¥21.09

$3.19 ¥21.33

-1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.15 ¥67.9

$12.90 ¥86.3

-21.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ¥12.43

$2.24 ¥15.00

-16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.44

$1.66 ¥11.13

-24.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.97

$2.02 ¥13.54

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.39

$1.66 ¥11.08

-33.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$0.77 ¥5.17

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$0.93 ¥6.21

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 ¥3.72

$0.63 ¥4.19

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.37

$0.60 ¥3.99

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.33

$3.80 ¥25.44

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 ¥69.4

$10.87 ¥72.7

-4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.40

$0.82 ¥5.51

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.00

$1.61 ¥10.76

1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.79

$0.61 ¥4.11

-55.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.42 ¥110

$29.40 ¥197

-44.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.43

$2.11 ¥14.11

-33.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.19

$0.43 ¥2.87

-23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 ¥45.16

$9.06 ¥60.6

-25.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.54

$1.33 ¥8.89

-15.04%

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

$19.6K ¥131.2K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

3.17%

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

$17.0K ¥113.4K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-9.38%

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

$44.97 ¥301

$57.8 ¥387

-22.21%

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

$9.59 ¥64.1

$8.09 ¥54.1

18.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.53 ¥77.1

$10.48 ¥70.0

10.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.25 ¥276

$65.7 ¥439

-37.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 ¥94.5

$17.82 ¥119

-20.65%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.12

$8.95 ¥59.9

-34.64%

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

$338 ¥2,262

$1,414 ¥9,451

-76.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥112.6K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-39.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.21 ¥296

$54.0 ¥361

-18.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.84 ¥200

$37.09 ¥248

-19.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 ¥473

$74.3 ¥496

-4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 ¥481

$106 ¥706

-31.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,847

$1,055 ¥7,056

-73.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ¥1,283

$585 ¥3,910

-67.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ¥3,999

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 ¥2,379

$1,232 ¥8,240

-71.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,977 ¥19.9K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-78.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 ¥13.7K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-67.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.36

15.77%

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

Last update for Huai'an: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Huai'an

$197 27.7%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 19% $37

Accommodation & Living

Huai'an

$192 27%

Shanghai

$585 47% 205% $393

Clothing & Footwear

Huai'an

$98 13.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 25% $24

Eating Out

Huai'an

$86 12.1%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 23.4% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huai'an

$66 9.3%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 15.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Huai'an

$53 7.4%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 57.9% $31

Getting Around

Huai'an

$21 2.9%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 75.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $276 in Huai'an 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Huai'an versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $235 – making Huai'an the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Huai'an

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

Same time as Huai'an

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,799,889

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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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

Huai'an vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,069 per month in Huai'an 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 Huai'an, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Huai'an and $30.00 in Shanghai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Huai'an, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Huai'an it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Huai'an. 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.