Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kamiyama and Shanghai

For one person, living costs are similar in Kamiyama and in Shanghai: $1,235 and $1,256 a month, rent and utilities included.

Kamiyama
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,235
/mo nomad
Shanghai
🇨🇳 China
$1,256
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Kamiyama vs $1,256 in Shanghai, rent included.

  • Kamiyama $1,235
  • Shanghai $1,256

A couple spends around $1,928 per month in Kamiyama vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

  • Kamiyama $1,928
  • Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $2,621 per month in Kamiyama vs $2,743 in Shanghai, rent included.

  • Kamiyama $2,621
  • Shanghai $2,743

Kamiyama is about 2% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kamiyama and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Kamiyama 9% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.73 ¥1,063
$4.45 ¥29.78
51.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.01 ¥5,372
$30.29 ¥203
12.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.49 ¥868
$5.09 ¥34.01
7.86%
Cappuccino
$3.09 ¥487
$3.43 ¥22.96
-9.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14 ¥180
$0.62 ¥4.15
83.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 ¥120
$0.39 ¥2.58
94.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.13 ¥336
$1.23 ¥8.25
73.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 ¥507
$2.21 ¥14.81
45.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 ¥241
$1.85 ¥12.37
-17.84%
White Bread (500g)
$1.58 ¥250
$1.95 ¥13.02
-18.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.89 ¥772
$1.00 ¥6.67
389.00%
Eggs
$2.29 ¥362
$1.71 ¥11.43
33.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.03 ¥1,584
$17.47 ¥117
-42.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.43 ¥1,016
$3.24 ¥21.66
98.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.27 ¥2,412
$12.99 ¥86.8
17.55%
Apples (1kg)
$5.46 ¥863
$2.24 ¥14.98
143.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.65 ¥419
$1.68 ¥11.25
57.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.95 ¥624
$1.95 ¥13.03
102.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.61 ¥728
$1.73 ¥11.60
166.47%
Potato (1kg)
$3.21 ¥507
$0.76 ¥5.10
322.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.56 ¥404
$0.92 ¥6.15
178.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 ¥210
$0.66 ¥4.41
101.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.83 ¥132
$0.60 ¥4.00
38.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 ¥674
$3.69 ¥24.65
15.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.40 ¥1,011
$10.92 ¥73.0
-41.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 ¥300
$0.87 ¥5.85
118.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 ¥377
$1.63 ¥10.87
46.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.59 ¥252
$0.62 ¥4.13
156.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.1 ¥8,865
$30.38 ¥203
84.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.45 ¥545
$2.06 ¥13.79
67.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.01 ¥475
$0.46 ¥3.08
554.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.71 ¥3,271
$8.84 ¥59.1
134.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 ¥189
$1.33 ¥8.86
-10.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.1K ¥3.6M
$19.3K ¥128.7K
19.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.0K ¥2.7M
$18.2K ¥122.0K
-6.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$139 ¥21.9K
$57.1 ¥382
142.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.16 ¥4,291
$8.07 ¥53.9
236.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.67 ¥5,319
$10.70 ¥71.5
214.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 ¥9,033
$64.6 ¥432
-11.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.14 ¥2,234
$17.29 ¥116
-18.22%
Cinema Ticket
$13.05 ¥2,061
$9.05 ¥60.5
44.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$282 ¥44.6K
$1,441 ¥9,638
-80.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.1K ¥2.1M
$28.2K ¥188.4K
-53.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.36 ¥6,850
$53.5 ¥358
-19.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.72 ¥4,695
$37.05 ¥248
-19.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.5 ¥9,557
$77.0 ¥515
-21.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.7 ¥14.3K
$104 ¥694
-12.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$463 ¥73.2K
$1,023 ¥6,841
-54.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 ¥52.4K
$594 ¥3,971
-44.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$879 ¥138.8K
$2,563 ¥17.1K
-65.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$670 ¥105.9K
$1,213 ¥8,107
-44.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,777 ¥438.8K
$13.5K ¥90.4K
-79.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,786 ¥282.2K
$6,247 ¥41.8K
-71.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kamiyama
Shanghai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,699 ¥11.4K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
1.81
3.36
-46.13%

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

Last update for Kamiyama: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kamiyama
$332
Shanghai
$594 79.1% $262
Groceries & Markets
Kamiyama
$307
Shanghai
$238 22.6% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kamiyama
$199
Shanghai
$76 61.9% $123
Eating Out
Kamiyama
$132
Shanghai
$107 19.2% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Kamiyama
$101
Shanghai
$122 21.1% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Kamiyama
$83
Shanghai
$83 0.7% $0.6
Getting Around
Kamiyama
$81
Shanghai
$37 54.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $463 in Kamiyama versus $1,023 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 $34.00 in Kamiyama versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $238 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Kamiyama
🇨🇳 Shanghai
🕒 Local time
07:21 7:21 AM
06:21 6:21 AM
1 h behind Kamiyama
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,300
24,870,895
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kamiyama Shanghai 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kamiyama
  • 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
Kamiyama vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shanghai cheaper than Kamiyama?
Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,853 per month in Kamiyama and $1,884 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kamiyama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Kamiyama and in Shanghai?
Interestingly, groceries are about 29% cheaper in Shanghai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is eating out cheaper in Kamiyama or in Shanghai?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Kamiyama and $30.00 in Shanghai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Kamiyama or in Shanghai?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kamiyama, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Kamiyama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Kamiyama or Shanghai more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kamiyama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kamiyama. 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.

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