Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mudanjiang and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Mudanjiang: $736 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Mudanjiang
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Mudanjiang Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Mudanjiang

🇨🇳 China

$736

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $736 per month in Mudanjiang vs $1,256 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mudanjiang $736
Shanghai $1,256

A couple spends around $1,158 per month in Mudanjiang vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mudanjiang $1,158
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,581 per month in Mudanjiang vs $2,743 in Shanghai, rent included.

Mudanjiang $1,581
Shanghai $2,743

Mudanjiang is about 41% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Mudanjiang and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Mudanjiang 46% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.05 ¥20.43

$4.45 ¥29.78

-31.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.31 ¥89.0

$30.29 ¥203

-56.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.08 ¥40.66

$5.09 ¥34.01

19.45%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ¥18.30

$3.43 ¥22.96

-20.12%

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

$0.43 ¥2.86

$0.62 ¥4.15

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.91

$0.39 ¥2.58

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 ¥7.04

$1.23 ¥8.25

-14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.33

$2.21 ¥14.81

-3.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 ¥12.03

$1.85 ¥12.37

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 ¥10.98

$1.95 ¥13.02

-15.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$1.00 ¥6.67

-8.00%

Eggs

$1.61 ¥10.74

$1.71 ¥11.43

-5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 ¥90.1

$17.47 ¥117

-22.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ¥22.92

$3.24 ¥21.66

5.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 ¥73.9

$12.99 ¥86.8

-14.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 ¥12.36

$2.24 ¥14.98

-17.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 ¥8.79

$1.68 ¥11.25

-22.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.00

$1.95 ¥13.03

-23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.39

$1.73 ¥11.60

-27.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ¥4.97

$0.76 ¥5.10

-2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 ¥5.96

$0.92 ¥6.15

-3.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 ¥4.24

$0.66 ¥4.41

-4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ¥3.97

$0.60 ¥4.00

-1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.64 ¥24.34

$3.69 ¥24.65

-1.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 ¥78.2

$10.92 ¥73.0

7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.45

$0.87 ¥5.85

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ¥10.70

$1.63 ¥10.87

-1.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ¥2.07

$0.62 ¥4.13

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.77 ¥119

$30.38 ¥203

-41.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 ¥9.78

$2.06 ¥13.79

-29.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 ¥2.39

$0.46 ¥3.08

-21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 ¥46.88

$8.84 ¥59.1

-20.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.67

$1.33 ¥8.86

-2.26%

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

$19.7K ¥131.6K

$19.3K ¥128.7K

2.23%

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

$17.1K ¥114.4K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

-6.25%

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

$58.2 ¥389

$57.1 ¥382

1.82%

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

$8.46 ¥56.6

$8.07 ¥53.9

4.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.09 ¥74.2

$10.70 ¥71.5

3.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.44 ¥277

$64.6 ¥432

-35.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.68 ¥98.1

$17.29 ¥116

-15.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ¥41.61

$9.05 ¥60.5

-31.27%

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

$416 ¥2,782

$1,441 ¥9,638

-71.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$28.2K ¥188.4K

-36.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.96 ¥294

$53.5 ¥358

-17.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.55 ¥224

$37.05 ¥248

-9.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 ¥506

$77.0 ¥515

-1.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 ¥491

$104 ¥694

-29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 ¥2,028

$1,023 ¥6,841

-70.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,223

$594 ¥3,971

-69.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 ¥4,218

$2,563 ¥17.1K

-75.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 ¥2,545

$1,213 ¥8,107

-68.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,508 ¥23.5K

$13.5K ¥90.4K

-74.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,975 ¥13.2K

$6,247 ¥41.8K

-68.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,699 ¥11.4K

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 Mudanjiang: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mudanjiang

$209 28.4%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 13.7% $29

Accommodation & Living

Mudanjiang

$183 24.9%

Shanghai

$594 47.3% 225% $411

Clothing & Footwear

Mudanjiang

$102 13.9%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 19.8% $20

Eating Out

Mudanjiang

$88 12%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 21.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mudanjiang

$78 10.6%

Shanghai

$76 6% 2.4% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Mudanjiang

$54 7.3%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 53.5% $29

Getting Around

Mudanjiang

$22 3%

Shanghai

$37 3% 67.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $303 in Mudanjiang versus $1,023 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 $13.00 in Mudanjiang versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $238 – making Mudanjiang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Mudanjiang

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

Same time as Mudanjiang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

965,154

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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Mudanjiang Shanghai 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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

Mudanjiang vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 71% more than Mudanjiang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,103 per month in Mudanjiang and $1,884 in Shanghai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mudanjiang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $736 in Mudanjiang and $1,256 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 71%.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Mudanjiang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mudanjiang, where all-in costs run around $736, than in Shanghai at $1,256. In Mudanjiang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mudanjiang – 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 Mudanjiang. 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.