Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kunshan and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Kunshan: $714 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Kunshan
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Kunshan Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Kunshan

🇨🇳 China

$714

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $714 per month in Kunshan vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kunshan $714
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Kunshan vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kunshan $1,137
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,560 per month in Kunshan vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Kunshan $1,560
Shanghai $2,755

Kunshan is about 43% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kunshan and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Kunshan 47% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.76 ¥18.46

$4.56 ¥30.47

-39.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.65 ¥145

$30.21 ¥202

-28.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.99 ¥33.35

$5.25 ¥35.13

-4.95%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.60

$3.28 ¥21.94

-6.10%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

$0.57 ¥3.84

-19.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.80

$0.36 ¥2.39

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 ¥6.18

$1.23 ¥8.23

-25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.32

$2.27 ¥15.18

-5.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ¥12.44

$1.84 ¥12.30

1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ¥10.63

$1.96 ¥13.08

-18.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.94 ¥6.29

$1.03 ¥6.87

-8.74%

Eggs

$1.59 ¥10.65

$1.67 ¥11.16

-4.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 ¥86.5

$16.96 ¥113

-23.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 ¥21.02

$3.19 ¥21.33

-1.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.18 ¥68.1

$12.90 ¥86.3

-21.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$2.24 ¥15.00

-19.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.38

$1.66 ¥11.13

-24.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 ¥9.99

$2.02 ¥13.54

-26.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.64

$1.66 ¥11.08

-31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.89

$0.77 ¥5.17

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 ¥6.50

$0.93 ¥6.21

4.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 ¥3.79

$0.63 ¥4.19

-9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.44

$0.60 ¥3.99

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.09 ¥20.68

$3.80 ¥25.44

-18.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 ¥71.5

$10.87 ¥72.7

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.93

$0.82 ¥5.51

-9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ¥11.00

$1.61 ¥10.76

2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.61 ¥4.11

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.02 ¥114

$29.40 ¥197

-42.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ¥9.37

$2.11 ¥14.11

-33.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ¥2.20

$0.43 ¥2.87

-23.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 ¥43.38

$9.06 ¥60.6

-28.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ¥7.58

$1.33 ¥8.89

-15.04%

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

$19.5K ¥130.4K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

2.52%

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

$16.9K ¥113.2K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-9.51%

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

$45.06 ¥301

$57.8 ¥387

-22.06%

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

$9.74 ¥65.1

$8.09 ¥54.1

20.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.75 ¥78.5

$10.48 ¥70.0

12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 ¥281

$65.7 ¥439

-36.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 ¥92.9

$17.82 ¥119

-22.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 ¥40.04

$8.95 ¥59.9

-33.07%

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

$337 ¥2,252

$1,414 ¥9,451

-76.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥112.9K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-39.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 ¥288

$54.0 ¥361

-20.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.24 ¥202

$37.09 ¥248

-18.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.7 ¥473

$74.3 ¥496

-4.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ¥477

$106 ¥706

-32.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ¥1,834

$1,055 ¥7,056

-74.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 ¥1,271

$585 ¥3,910

-67.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ¥3,948

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-76.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 ¥2,455

$1,232 ¥8,240

-70.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,017 ¥20.2K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-78.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,058 ¥13.8K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-67.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.89

3.36

15.77%

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

Last update for Kunshan: 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

Kunshan

$199 27.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 18% $36

Accommodation & Living

Kunshan

$190 26.7%

Shanghai

$585 47% 208% $395

Clothing & Footwear

Kunshan

$97 13.6%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 25.8% $25

Eating Out

Kunshan

$86 12%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 23.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kunshan

$67 9.3%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 14.8% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kunshan

$54 7.6%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 54.8% $30

Getting Around

Kunshan

$21 3%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 70% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $274 in Kunshan 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 $22.00 in Kunshan versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $235 – making Kunshan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Kunshan

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

Same time as Kunshan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,092,496

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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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

Kunshan vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,070 per month in Kunshan 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 Kunshan, 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 $22.00 in Kunshan 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 $714 in Kunshan and $1,244 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 74%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kunshan, where all-in costs run around $714, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Kunshan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kunshan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kunshan. 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.