Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanchong and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanchong: $682 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Nanchong
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Nanchong Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Nanchong

🇨🇳 China

$682

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $682 per month in Nanchong vs $1,244 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nanchong $682
Shanghai $1,244

A couple spends around $1,112 per month in Nanchong vs $1,999 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nanchong $1,112
Shanghai $1,999

A family of three spends $1,543 per month in Nanchong vs $2,755 in Shanghai, rent included.

Nanchong $1,543
Shanghai $2,755

Nanchong is about 45% cheaper than Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Nanchong and Shanghai are more affordable than the global median – Nanchong 50% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.75 ¥11.70

$4.56 ¥30.47

-61.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.63 ¥151

$30.21 ¥202

-25.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.02 ¥20.17

$5.25 ¥35.13

-42.48%

Cappuccino

$2.02 ¥13.49

$3.28 ¥21.94

-38.41%

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

$0.43 ¥2.90

$0.57 ¥3.84

-24.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 ¥2.09

$0.36 ¥2.39

-13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ¥8.14

$1.23 ¥8.23

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ¥11.72

$2.27 ¥15.18

-22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.93 ¥12.90

$1.84 ¥12.30

4.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 ¥10.68

$1.96 ¥13.08

-18.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ¥4.23

$1.03 ¥6.87

-38.83%

Eggs

$2.16 ¥14.41

$1.67 ¥11.16

29.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.25 ¥122

$16.96 ¥113

7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ¥22.95

$3.19 ¥21.33

7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 ¥66.7

$12.90 ¥86.3

-22.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.24

$2.24 ¥15.00

-31.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.67

$1.66 ¥11.13

-21.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ¥8.33

$2.02 ¥13.54

-38.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 ¥8.04

$1.66 ¥11.08

-27.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.45

$0.77 ¥5.17

-12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.23

$0.93 ¥6.21

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 ¥5.60

$0.63 ¥4.19

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.09

$0.60 ¥3.99

1.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 ¥19.82

$3.80 ¥25.44

-22.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.74 ¥58.4

$10.87 ¥72.7

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥5.43

$0.82 ¥5.51

-1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ¥11.33

$1.61 ¥10.76

4.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ¥2.25

$0.61 ¥4.11

-44.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.28 ¥122

$29.40 ¥197

-37.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.17

$2.11 ¥14.11

-27.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.10

$0.43 ¥2.87

-27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 ¥20.58

$9.06 ¥60.6

-66.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.77

$1.33 ¥8.89

-1.50%

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

$19.5K ¥130.2K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

2.34%

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

$16.9K ¥112.7K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-9.90%

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

$44.74 ¥299

$57.8 ¥387

-22.61%

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

$7.19 ¥48.08

$8.09 ¥54.1

-11.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.88 ¥46.01

$10.48 ¥70.0

-34.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.93 ¥280

$65.7 ¥439

-36.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.50 ¥97.0

$17.82 ¥119

-18.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.16 ¥41.16

$8.95 ¥59.9

-31.17%

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

$292 ¥1,955

$1,414 ¥9,451

-79.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K ¥170.8K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-8.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.45 ¥264

$54.0 ¥361

-26.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.06 ¥201

$37.09 ¥248

-18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ¥431

$74.3 ¥496

-13.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.9 ¥427

$106 ¥706

-39.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$298 ¥1,991

$1,055 ¥7,056

-71.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 ¥1,222

$585 ¥3,910

-68.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$624 ¥4,169

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-74.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 ¥2,557

$1,232 ¥8,240

-68.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,201 ¥21.4K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-77.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,973 ¥13.2K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-68.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.34

3.36

-0.60%

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

Last update for Nanchong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nanchong

$214 31.4%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 9.6% $21

Accommodation & Living

Nanchong

$183 26.8%

Shanghai

$585 47% 220% $402

Clothing & Footwear

Nanchong

$89 13.1%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 36.9% $33

Eating Out

Nanchong

$60 8.8%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 77.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanchong

$59 8.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 29.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Nanchong

$54 8%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 54.1% $29

Getting Around

Nanchong

$23 3.3%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 58.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $298 in Nanchong 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Nanchong versus $30.00 in Shanghai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $235 – making Nanchong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanchong

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

Same time as Nanchong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,607,565

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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Between locations

Nanchong Shanghai 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Nanchong
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

Nanchong vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $682 in Nanchong, $1,244 in Shanghai – roughly 82% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,022 per month in Nanchong 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 Nanchong, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $292 per month in Nanchong and $1,414 in Shanghai. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nanchong, where all-in costs run around $682, than in Shanghai at $1,244. In Nanchong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shanghai it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nanchong – 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 Nanchong. 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.