Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jilin and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Jilin: $722 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Jilin
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Jilin Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Jilin

🇨🇳 China

$722

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $722 per month in Jilin vs $1,222 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jilin $722
Shanghai $1,222

A couple spends around $1,195 per month in Jilin vs $1,971 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jilin $1,195
Shanghai $1,971

A family of three spends $1,669 per month in Jilin vs $2,720 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jilin $1,669
Shanghai $2,720

Jilin is about 41% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Jilin and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Jilin 47% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ¥20.31

$4.53 ¥30.11

-32.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.62 ¥151

$30.16 ¥201

-25.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.37

$5.11 ¥34.04

1.17%

Cappuccino

$3.43 ¥22.83

$3.41 ¥22.70

0.59%

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

$0.44 ¥2.96

$0.58 ¥3.85

-24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.35 ¥2.36

-22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 ¥7.24

$1.23 ¥8.22

-11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.39

$2.31 ¥15.37

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ¥11.64

$1.88 ¥12.52

-6.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥10.70

$1.94 ¥12.88

-17.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ¥6.59

$0.98 ¥6.52

1.02%

Eggs

$1.57 ¥10.46

$1.70 ¥11.31

-7.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.29 ¥102

$17.02 ¥113

-10.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥20.73

$3.22 ¥21.41

-3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.08 ¥73.7

$12.93 ¥86.0

-14.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 ¥12.51

$2.15 ¥14.31

-12.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 ¥8.44

$1.73 ¥11.48

-26.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.79

$2.03 ¥13.51

-27.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.62

$1.73 ¥11.54

-25.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ¥4.38

$0.83 ¥5.51

-20.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$0.92 ¥6.13

10.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ¥3.96

$0.67 ¥4.48

-11.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.91

$0.59 ¥3.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 ¥25.12

$3.77 ¥25.10

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 ¥68.0

$11.03 ¥73.4

-7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥5.07

$0.90 ¥6.00

-15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.65

$1.60 ¥10.67

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ¥2.28

$0.57 ¥3.81

-40.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.48 ¥116

$29.62 ¥197

-40.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ¥7.17

$2.14 ¥14.25

-49.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.73

$0.47 ¥3.10

-44.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.13 ¥47.44

$8.74 ¥58.2

-18.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 ¥8.43

$1.34 ¥8.93

-5.22%

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

$19.8K ¥132.1K

$19.3K ¥128.1K

3.07%

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

$17.6K ¥116.9K

$18.3K ¥121.7K

-3.93%

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

$61.3 ¥408

$58.9 ¥392

4.02%

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

$8.26 ¥55.0

$7.90 ¥52.5

4.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.67 ¥71.0

$10.60 ¥70.5

0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 ¥262

$64.8 ¥431

-39.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.99 ¥113

$17.47 ¥116

-2.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 ¥42.67

$9.06 ¥60.3

-29.25%

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

$440 ¥2,930

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-72.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K ¥117.5K

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-37.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.55 ¥283

$54.6 ¥363

-22.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.53 ¥217

$37.21 ¥248

-12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 ¥508

$74.6 ¥496

2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.0 ¥506

$106 ¥707

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 ¥1,623

$1,026 ¥6,826

-76.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 ¥1,085

$559 ¥3,722

-70.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$584 ¥3,884

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-77.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 ¥2,704

$1,191 ¥7,926

-65.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,551 ¥23.6K

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-73.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,139 ¥14.2K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-67.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$441 ¥2,935

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-74.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Jilin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Jilin

$209 28.9%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 13.3% $28

Accommodation & Living

Jilin

$163 22.6%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 243% $396

Clothing & Footwear

Jilin

$102 14.2%

Shanghai

$123 10% 19.8% $20

Eating Out

Jilin

$94 13%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 13.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jilin

$80 11.1%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 3.5% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Jilin

$52 7.2%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 58.9% $31

Getting Around

Jilin

$21 2.9%

Shanghai

$36 3% 71.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $244 in Jilin 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 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Jilin versus $30 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $237 – making Jilin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jilin

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

Same time as Jilin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,623,713

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

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Between locations

Jilin Shanghai 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jilin
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

Jilin vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 69% more than Jilin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,083 per month in Jilin 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 Jilin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $244 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Jilin and $1,587 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $800 monthly budget goes further in Jilin, where all-in costs run around $722, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Jilin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jilin – 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 Jilin. 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.