Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maoming and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Maoming: $709 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 Maoming
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Maoming Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Maoming

🇨🇳 China

$709

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $709 per month in Maoming vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Maoming $709
Shanghai $1,244

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

Maoming $1,137
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,566 per month in Maoming vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Maoming $1,566
Shanghai $2,755

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.62 ¥17.53

$4.56 ¥30.47

-42.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.74 ¥159

$30.21 ¥202

-21.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 ¥26.83

$5.25 ¥35.13

-23.62%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ¥18.36

$3.28 ¥21.94

-16.16%

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

$0.50 ¥3.35

$0.57 ¥3.84

-12.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.93

$0.36 ¥2.39

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.95 ¥6.35

$1.23 ¥8.23

-22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 ¥15.32

$2.27 ¥15.18

0.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.65

$1.84 ¥12.30

-5.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.81

$1.96 ¥13.08

-9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.67

$1.03 ¥6.87

-2.91%

Eggs

$1.66 ¥11.09

$1.67 ¥11.16

-0.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 ¥93.4

$16.96 ¥113

-17.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 ¥23.17

$3.19 ¥21.33

8.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 ¥73.9

$12.90 ¥86.3

-14.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ¥12.90

$2.24 ¥15.00

-13.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.99

$1.66 ¥11.13

-19.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 ¥10.36

$2.02 ¥13.54

-23.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.66 ¥11.08

-24.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.77 ¥5.17

-10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ¥6.33

$0.93 ¥6.21

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ¥4.43

$0.63 ¥4.19

4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ¥3.66

$0.60 ¥3.99

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 ¥22.55

$3.80 ¥25.44

-11.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.67 ¥78.0

$10.87 ¥72.7

7.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥5.59

$0.82 ¥5.51

2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.26

$1.61 ¥10.76

-4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.61 ¥4.11

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.23 ¥115

$29.40 ¥197

-41.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$2.11 ¥14.11

-28.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.43 ¥2.87

-16.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.12 ¥47.62

$9.06 ¥60.6

-21.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥8.64

$1.33 ¥8.89

-3.01%

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

$19.4K ¥129.5K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

1.83%

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

$17.5K ¥117.2K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-6.29%

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

$57.6 ¥385

$57.8 ¥387

-0.36%

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

$8.78 ¥58.7

$8.09 ¥54.1

8.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.99 ¥80.2

$10.48 ¥70.0

14.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.74 ¥226

$65.7 ¥439

-48.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.10 ¥101

$17.82 ¥119

-15.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 ¥41.32

$8.95 ¥59.9

-30.95%

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

$463 ¥3,098

$1,414 ¥9,451

-67.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ¥115.0K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-38.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.17 ¥295

$54.0 ¥361

-18.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.79 ¥226

$37.09 ¥248

-8.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 ¥540

$74.3 ¥496

8.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.8 ¥453

$106 ¥706

-35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,715

$1,055 ¥7,056

-75.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$171 ¥1,140

$585 ¥3,910

-70.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 ¥4,017

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-75.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 ¥2,267

$1,232 ¥8,240

-72.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,926 ¥26.2K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-71.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,723 ¥11.5K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-72.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,026 ¥6,857

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-40.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.36

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

Last update for Maoming: October 13, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Maoming

$212 29.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 10.8% $23

Accommodation & Living

Maoming

$171 24.1%

Shanghai

$585 47% 243% $414

Clothing & Footwear

Maoming

$102 14.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 19.6% $20

Eating Out

Maoming

$78 11.1%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 35.1% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maoming

$78 11.1%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 2.6% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Maoming

$46 6.5%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 81.3% $37

Getting Around

Maoming

$22 3.1%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 66.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $257 in Maoming 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 67% higher in Shanghai, 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 $24.00 in Maoming versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $212 vs $235 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Maoming

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

Same time as Maoming

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,217,000

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

On the map

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Between locations

Maoming Shanghai 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Maoming
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

Maoming vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Shanghai is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,064 per month in Maoming 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 Maoming, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Shanghai, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Maoming and $30.00 in Shanghai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Maoming. 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.