Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mianyang, Sichuan and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan: $645 a month against $1,222 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Mianyang, Sichuan
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Mianyang, Sichuan Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 China

$645

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $645 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $1,222 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $645
Shanghai $1,222

A couple spends around $997 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $1,971 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $997
Shanghai $1,971

A family of three spends $1,349 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan vs $2,720 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mianyang, Sichuan $1,349
Shanghai $2,720

Mianyang, Sichuan is about 47% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Mianyang, Sichuan and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Mianyang, Sichuan 53% lower, Shanghai 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.92 ¥19.40

$4.53 ¥30.07

-35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.06 ¥120

$30.16 ¥200

-40.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 ¥32.17

$5.11 ¥33.99

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$3.02 ¥20.06

$3.41 ¥22.67

-11.44%

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

$0.47 ¥3.13

$0.58 ¥3.85

-18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.35 ¥2.36

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 ¥10.21

$1.23 ¥8.21

25.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ¥15.38

$2.31 ¥15.35

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 ¥9.88

$1.88 ¥12.50

-20.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ¥10.00

$1.94 ¥12.86

-22.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ¥6.65

$0.98 ¥6.51

2.04%

Eggs

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.70 ¥11.29

-4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 ¥94.2

$17.02 ¥113

-16.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 ¥24.46

$3.22 ¥21.38

14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 ¥74.5

$12.93 ¥85.9

-13.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ¥12.66

$2.15 ¥14.29

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 ¥8.88

$1.73 ¥11.46

-22.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ¥6.97

$2.03 ¥13.49

-48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ¥7.70

$1.73 ¥11.52

-32.95%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 ¥4.69

$0.83 ¥5.50

-14.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$0.92 ¥6.12

-27.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.07

$0.67 ¥4.47

-8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ¥3.56

$0.59 ¥3.92

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 ¥25.49

$3.77 ¥25.06

1.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 ¥30.11

$11.03 ¥73.3

-58.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 ¥5.43

$0.90 ¥5.99

-8.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 ¥9.14

$1.60 ¥10.66

-13.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.57 ¥3.80

-45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.62 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 ¥7.07

$2.14 ¥14.23

-50.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 ¥1.87

$0.47 ¥3.10

-40.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 ¥30.35

$8.74 ¥58.1

-47.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 ¥8.36

$1.34 ¥8.92

-5.97%

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

$19.8K ¥131.7K

$19.3K ¥127.9K

2.92%

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

$17.9K ¥119.0K

$18.3K ¥121.5K

-2.02%

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

$47.87 ¥318

$58.9 ¥391

-18.73%

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

$6.73 ¥44.71

$7.90 ¥52.5

-14.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.85 ¥85.4

$10.60 ¥70.4

21.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.21 ¥121

$64.8 ¥431

-71.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.47 ¥116

Cinema Ticket

$5.74 ¥38.12

$9.06 ¥60.2

-36.64%

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

$1,169 ¥7,769

$1,587 ¥10.5K

-26.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥98.8K

$28.2K ¥187.6K

-47.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.08 ¥167

$54.6 ¥363

-54.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 ¥185

$37.21 ¥247

-25.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 ¥374

$74.6 ¥495

-24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 ¥355

$106 ¥706

-49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 ¥1,478

$1,026 ¥6,816

-78.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$191 ¥1,270

$559 ¥3,716

-65.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$428 ¥2,844

$2,618 ¥17.4K

-83.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 ¥2,188

$1,191 ¥7,915

-72.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,989 ¥13.2K

$13.4K ¥88.9K

-85.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,522 ¥10.1K

$6,527 ¥43.4K

-76.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$741 ¥4,925

$1,712 ¥11.4K

-56.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.1

3.36

-7.74%

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

Last update for Mianyang, Sichuan: October 27, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6%

Shanghai

$559 45.8% 193% $368

Groceries & Markets

Mianyang, Sichuan

$191 29.6%

Shanghai

$237 19.4% 24% $46

Eating Out

Mianyang, Sichuan

$89 13.9%

Shanghai

$107 8.8% 19.7% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Mianyang, Sichuan

$73 11.3%

Shanghai

$123 10% 67.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mianyang, Sichuan

$67 10.5%

Shanghai

$77 6.3% 14.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Mianyang, Sichuan

$30 4.6%

Shanghai

$83 6.8% 179% $53

Getting Around

Mianyang, Sichuan

$3.7 * 0.6%

Shanghai

$36 3% 875% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $222 in Mianyang, Sichuan versus $1,026 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 in Shanghai are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18 in Mianyang, Sichuan versus $30 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $237 – making Mianyang, Sichuan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Mianyang, Sichuan

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

Same time as Mianyang, Sichuan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,868,243

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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Mianyang, Sichuan Shanghai 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mianyang, Sichuan
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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

Mianyang, Sichuan vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan, $1,222 in Shanghai – Mianyang, Sichuan comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $968 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $1,833 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mianyang, Sichuan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $222 there versus $1,026 in Shanghai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $645 in Mianyang, Sichuan and $1,222 in Shanghai. That makes Mianyang, Sichuan about 47% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,169 per month in Mianyang, Sichuan and $1,587 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mianyang, Sichuan, where all-in costs run around $645, than in Shanghai at $1,222. In Mianyang, Sichuan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mianyang, Sichuan – 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 Mianyang, Sichuan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Shanghai makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.