Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kawasaki and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Shanghai: $1,244 a month against $1,481 in Kawasaki, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Kawasaki
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Kawasaki Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

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Kawasaki

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,481

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,481 per month in Kawasaki vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kawasaki $1,481
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $2,245 per month in Kawasaki vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kawasaki $2,245
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $3,009 per month in Kawasaki vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kawasaki $3,009
Shanghai $2,755

Kawasaki costs about 19% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kawasaki sits 10% above the global median, while Shanghai is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.72 ¥1,220

$4.56 ¥30.47

69.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 ¥5,924

$30.21 ¥202

24.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.02 ¥793

$5.25 ¥35.13

-4.38%

Cappuccino

$2.69 ¥426

$3.28 ¥21.94

-17.99%

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

$1.59 ¥251

$0.57 ¥3.84

178.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ¥137

$0.36 ¥2.39

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 ¥509

$1.23 ¥8.23

161.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ¥484

$2.27 ¥15.18

34.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥241

$1.84 ¥12.30

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ¥244

$1.96 ¥13.08

-20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 ¥669

$1.03 ¥6.87

310.68%

Eggs

$2.11 ¥333

$1.67 ¥11.16

26.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.09 ¥1,751

$16.96 ¥113

-34.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 ¥1,047

$3.19 ¥21.33

107.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 ¥2,587

$12.90 ¥86.3

26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.27 ¥991

$2.24 ¥15.00

179.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 ¥428

$1.66 ¥11.13

63.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 ¥783

$2.02 ¥13.54

145.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 ¥842

$1.66 ¥11.08

221.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 ¥517

$0.77 ¥5.17

324.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 ¥483

$0.93 ¥6.21

229.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 ¥179

$0.63 ¥4.19

80.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥130

$0.60 ¥3.99

36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥605

$3.80 ¥25.44

0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 ¥1,483

$10.87 ¥72.7

-13.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ¥377

$0.82 ¥5.51

191.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ¥429

$1.61 ¥10.76

68.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 ¥300

$0.61 ¥4.11

211.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.1 ¥8,072

$29.40 ¥197

73.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 ¥485

$2.11 ¥14.11

45.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 ¥484

$0.43 ¥2.87

611.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.85 ¥2,978

$9.06 ¥60.6

108.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ¥167

$1.33 ¥8.89

-20.30%

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

$22.0K ¥3.5M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

15.58%

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

$15.4K ¥2.4M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-17.73%

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

$124 ¥19.6K

$57.8 ¥387

114.44%

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

$23.61 ¥3,729

$8.09 ¥54.1

191.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.45 ¥4,810

$10.48 ¥70.0

190.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ¥8,560

$65.7 ¥439

-17.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.22 ¥982

$17.82 ¥119

-65.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 ¥1,925

$8.95 ¥59.9

36.09%

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

$568 ¥89.8K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-59.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K ¥2.3M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-48.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 ¥7,914

$54.0 ¥361

-7.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.45 ¥5,285

$37.09 ¥248

-9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥10.2K

$74.3 ¥496

-13.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 ¥11.2K

$106 ¥706

-32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 ¥119.2K

$1,055 ¥7,056

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 ¥90.9K

$585 ¥3,910

-1.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 ¥202.4K

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-48.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 ¥161.2K

$1,232 ¥8,240

-17.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,698 ¥742.2K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-66.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,131 ¥494.7K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-49.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,542 ¥401.6K

$1,711 ¥11.4K

48.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.02

3.36

-39.88%

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

Last update for Kawasaki: 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

Kawasaki

$576 38.9%

Shanghai

$585 47% 1.6% $9.1

Groceries & Markets

Kawasaki

$332 22.4%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 29.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kawasaki

$178 12%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 57.1% $102

Eating Out

Kawasaki

$141 9.5%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 24.9% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Kawasaki

$98 6.7%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 23.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Kawasaki

$79 5.3%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 6.4% $5.1

Getting Around

Kawasaki

$77 5.2%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 53.1% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $754 in Kawasaki 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 49% higher in Kawasaki, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Kawasaki versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $235 – making Shanghai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Kawasaki

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

10:07 10:07 AM

1 h behind Kawasaki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,538,262

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 19, 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 19, 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

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Between locations

Kawasaki Shanghai 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Kawasaki
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

Kawasaki vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kawasaki costs about 19% more than Shanghai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,222 per month in Kawasaki 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 Shanghai, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Kawasaki and $30.00 in Shanghai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,481 in Kawasaki and $1,244 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 19%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shanghai, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Kawasaki at $1,481. In Shanghai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kawasaki it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Shanghai costs $1,244 versus $1,481 in Kawasaki. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Shanghai. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kawasaki makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.