Cost of Living Comparison Between Krabi and Shanghai Cost of Living Comparison Between Krabi and Shanghai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Krabi versus $1,209 in Shanghai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,452 in Krabi versus $1,979 in Shanghai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Krabi versus $2,749 in Shanghai.

Living in Krabi costs roughly 17% less than in Shanghai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Krabi 25% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.12 ฿102

$4.90 ¥33.21

-36.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.63 ฿804

$36.30 ¥246

-32.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 ฿197

$5.59 ¥37.88

7.87%

Cappuccino

$2.67 ฿87.3

$3.55 ¥24.06

-24.79%

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

$0.95 ฿30.88

$0.57 ¥3.88

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.98

$0.36 ¥2.46

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.43 ¥9.67

67.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 ฿92.4

$2.85 ¥19.27

-0.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.51 ฿82.1

$2.16 ¥14.62

16.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 ฿80.0

$1.78 ¥12.04

37.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 ฿63.5

$1.10 ¥7.43

76.36%

Eggs

$2.16 ฿70.6

$1.69 ¥11.45

27.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.55 ฿900

$15.30 ¥104

80.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.12 ¥21.15

15.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.83 ฿256

$10.76 ¥72.9

-27.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 ฿80.5

$2.26 ¥15.31

9.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.89 ฿28.91

$1.67 ¥11.33

-46.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 ฿61.8

$1.80 ¥12.18

5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 ฿63.6

$1.53 ¥10.36

27.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.88

$0.81 ¥5.47

85.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 ฿44.09

$1.11 ¥7.53

21.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 ฿48.42

$0.68 ¥4.62

117.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.51

$0.56 ¥3.76

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.84 ¥19.22

28.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.98 ฿358

$11.60 ¥78.6

-5.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ฿55.6

$0.79 ¥5.32

115.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.64 ¥11.08

90.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 ฿39.20

$0.43 ¥2.94

179.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 ฿36.11

$2.21 ¥14.94

-49.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 ฿38.77

$0.38 ¥2.56

213.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 ฿201

$8.38 ¥56.7

-26.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 ฿39.19

$1.14 ¥7.72

5.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.3K

$19.5K ¥132.3K

44.37%

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

$27.9K ฿912.0K

$18.1K ¥122.9K

53.85%

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

$43.78 ฿1,430

$52.8 ¥358

-17.10%

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

$12.83 ฿419

$8.53 ¥57.8

50.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 ฿913

$13.84 ¥93.7

102.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 ฿1,338

$47.02 ¥318

-12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.26 ฿400

$19.81 ¥134

-38.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 ฿222

$8.46 ¥57.3

-19.86%

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

$213 ฿6,951

$1,303 ¥8,823

-83.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,852 ฿256.4K

$31.6K ¥213.8K

-75.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.98 ฿1,077

$59.6 ¥404

-44.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.73 ฿1,134

$38.09 ¥258

-8.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 ฿3,528

$78.8 ¥534

37.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 ฿2,491

$99.3 ¥672

-23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 ฿16.3K

$933 ¥6,317

-46.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 ฿12.1K

$570 ¥3,861

-34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 ฿19.5K

$2,490 ¥16.9K

-76.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.5K

$1,192 ¥8,075

-62.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,212 ฿39.6K

$14.0K ¥94.7K

-91.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,070 ฿35.0K

$6,729 ¥45.6K

-84.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 ฿23.9K

$1,689 ¥11.4K

-56.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

3.58

52.23%

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

Last update for Krabi: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Krabi and $933 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 131% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $25.00 in Krabi vs $36.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $225, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

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

Krabi vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krabi and Shanghai differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,001 vs $1,209 including rent). Krabi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shanghai earns 131% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Krabi versus $933 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Shanghai pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,001 per month in Krabi versus $1,209 in Shanghai – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,001 in Krabi versus $1,209 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Krabi but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Krabi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Krabi and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Krabi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.