Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lianyungang and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Lianyungang: $761 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Lianyungang
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Lianyungang Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Lianyungang

🇨🇳 China

$761

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $761 in Lianyungang versus $1,222 in Shanghai.

Lianyungang $761
Shanghai $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Lianyungang versus $1,971 in Shanghai.

Lianyungang $1,155
Shanghai $1,971

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,549 in Lianyungang versus $2,720 in Shanghai.

Lianyungang $1,549
Shanghai $2,720

Living in Lianyungang costs roughly 38% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lianyungang 44% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 ¥20.52

$4.53 ¥30.11

-32.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.28 ¥122

$30.16 ¥201

-39.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.54 ¥30.22

$5.11 ¥34.04

-11.15%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ¥18.18

$3.41 ¥22.70

-19.94%

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

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.58 ¥3.85

-12.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ¥2.14

$0.35 ¥2.36

-8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ¥7.38

$1.23 ¥8.22

-9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ¥17.89

$2.31 ¥15.37

16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ¥12.76

$1.88 ¥12.52

2.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ¥9.37

$1.94 ¥12.88

-27.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$0.98 ¥6.52

5.10%

Eggs

$1.34 ¥8.92

$1.70 ¥11.31

-21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.35 ¥109

$17.02 ¥113

-3.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.43 ¥29.47

$3.22 ¥21.41

37.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 ¥66.6

$12.93 ¥86.0

-22.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 ¥7.84

$2.15 ¥14.31

-45.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.17

$1.73 ¥11.48

-63.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.12

$2.03 ¥13.51

-54.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ¥3.14

$1.73 ¥11.54

-72.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥4.85

$0.83 ¥5.51

-12.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ¥3.06

$0.92 ¥6.13

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.67 ¥4.48

-56.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.59 ¥3.92

-25.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥25.51

$3.77 ¥25.10

1.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 ¥98.2

$11.03 ¥73.4

33.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 ¥7.18

$0.90 ¥6.00

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ¥10.55

$1.60 ¥10.67

-0.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.57 ¥3.81

-49.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.68 ¥104

$29.62 ¥197

-47.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ¥9.81

$2.14 ¥14.25

-31.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 ¥2.99

$0.47 ¥3.10

-4.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.79 ¥58.5

$8.74 ¥58.2

0.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.66

$1.34 ¥8.93

-2.99%

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

$19.2K ¥128.0K

$19.3K ¥128.1K

-0.07%

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

$17.7K ¥118.0K

$18.3K ¥121.7K

-3.03%

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

$70.2 ¥467

$58.9 ¥392

19.24%

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

$6.73 ¥44.76

$7.90 ¥52.5

-14.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.82 ¥52.0

$10.60 ¥70.5

-26.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 ¥258

$64.8 ¥431

-40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.77 ¥91.6

$17.47 ¥116

-21.18%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 ¥42.97

$9.06 ¥60.3

-28.70%

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

$368 ¥2,450

$1,587 ¥10.6K

-76.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ¥116.7K

$28.2K ¥187.9K

-37.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.97 ¥246

$54.6 ¥363

-32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.62 ¥244

$37.21 ¥248

-1.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ¥502

$74.6 ¥496

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 ¥592

$106 ¥707

-16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 ¥1,883

$1,026 ¥6,826

-72.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$205 ¥1,363

$559 ¥3,722

-63.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 ¥4,056

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-76.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 ¥2,225

$1,191 ¥7,926

-71.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,313 ¥22.0K

$13.4K ¥89.0K

-75.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,167 ¥14.4K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-66.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 ¥3,969

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-65.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.37

3.36

0.30%

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

Last update for Lianyungang: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Lianyungang

$207 27.2%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 14.1% $29

Accommodation & Living

Lianyungang

$205 26.9%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 173% $354

Clothing & Footwear

Lianyungang

$107 14.1%

Shanghai

$123 10% 14.6% $16

Eating Out

Lianyungang

$85 11.2%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 25.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lianyungang

$85 11.1%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 8.7% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Lianyungang

$52 6.8%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 60.5% $31

Getting Around

Lianyungang

$21 2.7%

Shanghai

$36 3% 77.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Lianyungang and $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $18 in Lianyungang vs $30 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $237 per month, with Lianyungang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Lianyungang

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

Same time as Lianyungang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,393,914

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lianyungang Shanghai 430 km

From you

Lianyungang
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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

Lianyungang vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lianyungang wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Shanghai. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lianyungang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Lianyungang. 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: $283 in Lianyungang versus $1,026 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lianyungang runs roughly 47% less than in Shanghai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $368 in Lianyungang versus $1,587 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, Lianyungang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Shanghai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Lianyungang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.