Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jingmen and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Jingmen: $741 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Jingmen
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Jingmen Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Jingmen

🇨🇳 China

$741

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $741 per month in Jingmen vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jingmen $741
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,215 per month in Jingmen vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jingmen $1,215
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,689 per month in Jingmen vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Jingmen $1,689
Shanghai $2,755

Jingmen is about 40% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Jingmen and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Jingmen 45% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 ¥20.58

$4.56 ¥30.47

-32.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.61 ¥151

$30.21 ¥202

-25.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.11 ¥27.49

$5.25 ¥35.13

-21.71%

Cappuccino

$2.21 ¥14.76

$3.28 ¥21.94

-32.62%

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 ¥1.92

$0.36 ¥2.39

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ¥5.78

$1.23 ¥8.23

-30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$2.27 ¥15.18

-52.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ¥13.38

$1.84 ¥12.30

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 ¥11.94

$1.96 ¥13.08

-8.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.89

$1.03 ¥6.87

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$1.67 ¥11.16

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 ¥87.9

$16.96 ¥113

-22.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 ¥24.66

$3.19 ¥21.33

15.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 ¥91.4

$12.90 ¥86.3

6.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 ¥14.73

$2.24 ¥15.00

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.03

$1.66 ¥11.13

-27.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 ¥9.45

$2.02 ¥13.54

-30.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.40

$1.66 ¥11.08

-33.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 ¥5.51

$0.77 ¥5.17

6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$0.93 ¥6.21

-17.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 ¥2.52

$0.63 ¥4.19

-39.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.89

$0.60 ¥3.99

-28.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.53 ¥43.65

$3.80 ¥25.44

71.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.67 ¥98.1

$10.87 ¥72.7

34.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥5.00

$0.82 ¥5.51

-8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 ¥13.61

$1.61 ¥10.76

26.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ¥2.14

$0.61 ¥4.11

-47.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.67 ¥132

$29.40 ¥197

-33.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$2.11 ¥14.11

-30.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.43 ¥2.87

-32.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 ¥29.03

$9.06 ¥60.6

-52.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ¥7.17

$1.33 ¥8.89

-19.55%

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

$19.7K ¥131.5K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

3.40%

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

$16.8K ¥112.5K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-10.07%

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

$57.6 ¥385

$57.8 ¥387

-0.33%

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

$7.52 ¥50.3

$8.09 ¥54.1

-7.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.70 ¥78.3

$10.48 ¥70.0

11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.91 ¥300

$65.7 ¥439

-31.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.76 ¥85.3

$17.82 ¥119

-28.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.35 ¥35.74

$8.95 ¥59.9

-40.22%

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

$375 ¥2,505

$1,414 ¥9,451

-73.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ¥79.3K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-57.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 ¥363

$54.0 ¥361

0.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.37 ¥223

$37.09 ¥248

-10.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 ¥405

$74.3 ¥496

-18.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ¥756

$106 ¥706

7.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 ¥1,850

$1,055 ¥7,056

-73.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 ¥1,134

$585 ¥3,910

-71.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$664 ¥4,438

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-73.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 ¥2,648

$1,232 ¥8,240

-67.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,203 ¥21.4K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-77.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,196 ¥14.7K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-64.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

3.36

-1.49%

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

Last update for Jingmen: 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

Jingmen

$225 30.3%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 4.4% $10

Accommodation & Living

Jingmen

$170 22.9%

Shanghai

$585 47% 245% $415

Clothing & Footwear

Jingmen

$118 15.9%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 3.6% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jingmen

$77 10.4%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 0.6% $0.5

Eating Out

Jingmen

$73 9.8%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 45.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Jingmen

$56 7.5%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 50.3% $28

Getting Around

Jingmen

$24 3.2%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 51.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $277 in Jingmen 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 $23.00 in Jingmen versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $235 – making Jingmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Jingmen

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

Same time as Jingmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,873,687

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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Between locations

Jingmen Shanghai 880 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Jingmen
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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

Jingmen vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $741 in Jingmen, $1,244 in Shanghai – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,112 per month in Jingmen 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 Jingmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $375 per month in Jingmen and $1,414 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jingmen, where all-in costs run around $741, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Jingmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jingmen – 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 Jingmen. 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.