Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jiangmen and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiangmen: $513 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Jiangmen
Learn more

Jiangmen Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Jiangmen

🇨🇳 China

$513

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $513 in Jiangmen versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Jiangmen $513
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $998 in Jiangmen versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Jiangmen $998
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,483 in Jiangmen versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Jiangmen $1,483
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Jiangmen costs roughly 59% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jiangmen 62% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.29 ¥21.97

$4.56 ¥30.47

-27.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.07 ¥201

$30.21 ¥202

-0.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 ¥35.49

$5.25 ¥35.13

1.14%

Cappuccino

$2.30 ¥15.38

$3.28 ¥21.94

-29.88%

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

$0.43 ¥2.87

$0.57 ¥3.84

-24.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.36 ¥2.39

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$1.23 ¥8.23

-26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 ¥9.79

$2.27 ¥15.18

-35.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ¥10.71

$1.84 ¥12.30

-13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.89

$1.96 ¥13.08

-16.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ¥7.12

$1.03 ¥6.87

3.88%

Eggs

$1.77 ¥11.86

$1.67 ¥11.16

5.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.48 ¥144

$16.96 ¥113

26.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.28 ¥15.27

$3.19 ¥21.33

-28.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.38 ¥89.5

$12.90 ¥86.3

3.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ¥14.47

$2.24 ¥15.00

-3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.94

$1.66 ¥11.13

-46.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.80

$2.02 ¥13.54

-42.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 ¥9.57

$1.66 ¥11.08

-13.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 ¥4.28

$0.77 ¥5.17

-16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.25

$0.93 ¥6.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.63 ¥4.19

-53.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.65

$0.60 ¥3.99

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 ¥20.45

$3.80 ¥25.44

-19.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 ¥81.5

$10.87 ¥72.7

12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 ¥4.63

$0.82 ¥5.51

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 ¥11.74

$1.61 ¥10.76

9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.93

$0.61 ¥4.11

-27.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.41

$2.11 ¥14.11

-33.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ¥2.60

$0.43 ¥2.87

-9.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.09 ¥47.43

$9.06 ¥60.6

-21.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ¥8.97

$1.33 ¥8.89

0.75%

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

$19.8K ¥132.2K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

3.95%

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

$16.5K ¥110.5K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-11.65%

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

$49.45 ¥331

$57.8 ¥387

-14.46%

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

$8.60 ¥57.5

$8.09 ¥54.1

6.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.27 ¥82.1

$10.48 ¥70.0

17.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.28 ¥202

$65.7 ¥439

-53.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.51 ¥30.19

$17.82 ¥119

-74.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 ¥43.40

$8.95 ¥59.9

-27.49%

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

$251 ¥1,676

$1,414 ¥9,451

-82.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,533 ¥50.4K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-72.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.21 ¥202

$54.0 ¥361

-44.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.86 ¥266

$37.09 ¥248

7.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 ¥485

$74.3 ¥496

-2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.20 ¥296

$106 ¥706

-58.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ¥7,056

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ¥3,910

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ¥2,968

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-82.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 ¥1,826

$1,232 ¥8,240

-77.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,098 ¥40.8K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-56.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 ¥8,178

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-80.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$592 ¥3,957

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-65.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

3.36

-0.30%

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

Last update for Jiangmen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jiangmen

$230 44.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 1.9% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Jiangmen

$84 16.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 45.1% $38

Eating Out

Jiangmen

$80 15.6%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 32.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jiangmen

$70 13.7%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 8.6% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Jiangmen

$43 8.4%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 93.2% $40

Getting Around

Jiangmen

$5.1 * 1%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 608% $31

Accommodation & Living

Jiangmen

- * 0%

Shanghai

$585 47%

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

Cost Breakdown

Shanghai pays 189% 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: $30.00 in Jiangmen vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $235 per month, with Jiangmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jiangmen

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

Same time as Jiangmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,448,871

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jiangmen Shanghai 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Jiangmen
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

Jiangmen vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiangmen and Shanghai differ by about 142% in total monthly costs ($513 vs $1,244 including rent). Jiangmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 189% 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.

Childcare runs $251 in Jiangmen versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jiangmen – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $513 in Jiangmen versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jiangmen but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Jiangmen 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 Jiangmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.