Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanchang and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchang: $648 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Nanchang
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Nanchang Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Nanchang

🇨🇳 China

$648

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $648 per month in Nanchang vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nanchang $648
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,058 per month in Nanchang vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nanchang $1,058
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,467 per month in Nanchang vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nanchang $1,467
Shanghai $2,755

Nanchang is about 48% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nanchang and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Nanchang 52% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.35 ¥15.70

$4.56 ¥30.47

-48.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.21 ¥122

$30.21 ¥202

-39.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.81 ¥32.18

$5.25 ¥35.13

-8.38%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ¥17.29

$3.28 ¥21.94

-21.04%

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

$0.44 ¥2.92

$0.57 ¥3.84

-22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.81

$0.36 ¥2.39

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.23 ¥8.23

6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.66

$2.27 ¥15.18

-16.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ¥13.70

$1.84 ¥12.30

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 ¥16.07

$1.96 ¥13.08

22.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.64

$1.03 ¥6.87

-18.45%

Eggs

$1.67 ¥11.15

$1.67 ¥11.16

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 ¥88.6

$16.96 ¥113

-21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.95 ¥26.44

$3.19 ¥21.33

23.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.77 ¥78.7

$12.90 ¥86.3

-8.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 ¥13.29

$2.24 ¥15.00

-11.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.22

$1.66 ¥11.13

-34.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 ¥12.74

$2.02 ¥13.54

-5.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 ¥12.12

$1.66 ¥11.08

9.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.11

$0.77 ¥5.17

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.54

$0.93 ¥6.21

21.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$0.63 ¥4.19

-3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.60 ¥3.99

-28.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 ¥20.51

$3.80 ¥25.44

-19.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 ¥83.0

$10.87 ¥72.7

14.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.20

$0.82 ¥5.51

-4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 ¥10.19

$1.61 ¥10.76

-5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ¥1.75

$0.61 ¥4.11

-57.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.93 ¥99.8

$29.40 ¥197

-49.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 ¥8.26

$2.11 ¥14.11

-41.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.08

$0.43 ¥2.87

-27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.29 ¥48.75

$9.06 ¥60.6

-19.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ¥8.34

$1.33 ¥8.89

-6.02%

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

$19.1K ¥127.7K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

0.40%

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

$17.9K ¥119.4K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-4.58%

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

$34.93 ¥234

$57.8 ¥387

-39.58%

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

$9.27 ¥62.0

$8.09 ¥54.1

14.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.34 ¥89.2

$10.48 ¥70.0

27.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.85 ¥287

$65.7 ¥439

-34.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 ¥131

$17.82 ¥119

10.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 ¥42.91

$8.95 ¥59.9

-28.27%

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

$326 ¥2,176

$1,414 ¥9,451

-76.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ¥112.2K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-39.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.86 ¥253

$54.0 ¥361

-29.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.07 ¥148

$37.09 ¥248

-40.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 ¥585

$74.3 ¥496

17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.7 ¥405

$106 ¥706

-42.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 ¥1,493

$1,055 ¥7,056

-78.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 ¥791

$585 ¥3,910

-79.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$451 ¥3,014

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-81.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 ¥1,718

$1,232 ¥8,240

-79.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,008 ¥13.4K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-85.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,624 ¥10.9K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-74.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$745 ¥4,984

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-56.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

3.36

2.98%

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

Last update for Nanchang: 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

Nanchang

$227 35%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 3.5% $7.8

Accommodation & Living

Nanchang

$118 18.3%

Shanghai

$585 47% 394% $466

Clothing & Footwear

Nanchang

$94 14.5%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 30.2% $28

Eating Out

Nanchang

$77 11.9%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 37% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanchang

$58 8.9%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 32.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nanchang

$56 8.6%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 50.1% $28

Getting Around

Nanchang

$19 2.9%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 92.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Nanchang 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 130% 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 $18.00 in Nanchang versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $235 – making Nanchang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanchang

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

09:03 9:03 AM

Same time as Nanchang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,042,566

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

Nanchang Shanghai 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nanchang
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

Nanchang vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shanghai costs about 92% more than Nanchang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $973 per month in Nanchang 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 Nanchang, 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 $648 in Nanchang and $1,244 in Shanghai. That's a gap of about 92%.

Public transport costs about 97% less in Nanchang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchang, where all-in costs run around $648, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Nanchang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchang – 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 Nanchang. 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.