Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kashiwa and Shanghai

For one person, living costs are similar in Kashiwa and in Shanghai: $1,230 and $1,244 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Kashiwa
Learn more

Kashiwa Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Kashiwa

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,230

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,230 per month in Kashiwa vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kashiwa $1,230
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,857 per month in Kashiwa vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kashiwa $1,857
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $2,484 per month in Kashiwa vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kashiwa $2,484
Shanghai $2,755

Kashiwa is about 1% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Kashiwa and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Kashiwa 9% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 ¥1,018

$4.56 ¥30.47

41.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.90 ¥3,933

$30.21 ¥202

-17.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 ¥811

$5.25 ¥35.13

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$3.46 ¥546

$3.28 ¥21.94

5.49%

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

$0.69 ¥108

$0.57 ¥3.84

21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$0.36 ¥2.39

119.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 ¥391

$1.23 ¥8.23

100.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 ¥494

$2.27 ¥15.18

37.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥193

$1.84 ¥12.30

-33.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 ¥179

$1.96 ¥13.08

-42.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥567

$1.03 ¥6.87

248.54%

Eggs

$1.86 ¥293

$1.67 ¥11.16

11.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 ¥1,010

$16.96 ¥113

-62.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 ¥958

$3.19 ¥21.33

89.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 ¥1,480

$12.90 ¥86.3

-27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.66 ¥893

$2.24 ¥15.00

152.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 ¥428

$1.66 ¥11.13

63.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 ¥465

$2.02 ¥13.54

45.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 ¥646

$1.66 ¥11.08

146.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 ¥394

$0.77 ¥5.17

223.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ¥417

$0.93 ¥6.21

183.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥95.4

$0.63 ¥4.19

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥96.6

$0.60 ¥3.99

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥614

$3.80 ¥25.44

2.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 ¥1,003

$10.87 ¥72.7

-41.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ¥284

$0.82 ¥5.51

119.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥301

$1.61 ¥10.76

18.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 ¥228

$0.61 ¥4.11

136.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.4 ¥8,439

$29.40 ¥197

81.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ¥490

$2.11 ¥14.11

46.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ¥246

$0.43 ¥2.87

262.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.60 ¥3,255

$9.06 ¥60.6

127.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 ¥159

$1.33 ¥8.89

-24.81%

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

$21.6K ¥3.4M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

13.74%

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

$18.5K ¥2.9M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-1.26%

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

$127 ¥20.1K

$57.8 ¥387

119.75%

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

$24.24 ¥3,830

$8.09 ¥54.1

199.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.65 ¥5,000

$10.48 ¥70.0

202.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 ¥8,356

$65.7 ¥439

-19.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$12.83 ¥2,027

$8.95 ¥59.9

43.35%

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

$628 ¥99.2K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-55.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K ¥2.3M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-47.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 ¥9,813

$54.0 ¥361

15.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 ¥5,906

$37.09 ¥248

0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 ¥9,714

$74.3 ¥496

-17.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ¥15.9K

$106 ¥706

-4.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥82.6K

$1,055 ¥7,056

-50.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ¥63.2K

$585 ¥3,910

-31.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 ¥177.5K

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-54.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 ¥117.5K

$1,232 ¥8,240

-39.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 ¥660.9K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-69.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,934 ¥305.5K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-69.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,653 ¥419.2K

$1,711 ¥11.4K

55.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

3.36

-21.43%

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

Last update for Kashiwa: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kashiwa

$400 32.5%

Shanghai

$585 47% 46.1% $185

Groceries & Markets

Kashiwa

$248 20.1%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 5.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kashiwa

$183 14.9%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 58.3% $107

Eating Out

Kashiwa

$133 10.8%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 20.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Kashiwa

$118 9.6%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 3.5% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Kashiwa

$79 6.4%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 6.4% $5

Getting Around

Kashiwa

$70 5.7%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 48.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $523 in Kashiwa 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.

Salaries run about 55% higher in Kashiwa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25.00 in Kashiwa versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries tell a different story – $248 in Kashiwa vs $235 in Shanghai – so Shanghai wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kashiwa

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

08:21 8:21 AM

07:21 7:21 AM

1 h behind Kashiwa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

417,394

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kashiwa Shanghai 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kashiwa
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

Kashiwa vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,230 in Kashiwa, $1,244 in Shanghai – roughly 1% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,845 per month in Kashiwa 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 Kashiwa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $628 per month in Kashiwa and $1,414 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Shanghai – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kashiwa, where all-in costs run around $1,230, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Kashiwa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Kashiwa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,230 in Kashiwa to $1,244 in Shanghai. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kashiwa. 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.