Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanjing and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanjing: $847 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Nanjing
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Nanjing Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Nanjing

🇨🇳 China

$847

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $847 in Nanjing versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Nanjing $847
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,337 in Nanjing versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Nanjing $1,337
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,828 in Nanjing versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Nanjing $1,828
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Nanjing costs roughly 32% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nanjing 37% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 ¥25.76

$4.56 ¥30.47

-15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.43 ¥150

$30.21 ¥202

-25.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥31.55

$5.25 ¥35.13

-10.10%

Cappuccino

$3.12 ¥20.85

$3.28 ¥21.94

-4.88%

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

$0.53 ¥3.55

$0.57 ¥3.84

-7.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.27 ¥1.82

$0.36 ¥2.39

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 ¥10.08

$1.23 ¥8.23

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 ¥15.18

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ¥13.90

$1.84 ¥12.30

13.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 ¥14.36

$1.96 ¥13.08

9.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 ¥6.03

$1.03 ¥6.87

-12.62%

Eggs

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.67 ¥11.16

-21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 ¥71.2

$16.96 ¥113

-37.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 ¥20.11

$3.19 ¥21.33

-5.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 ¥58.2

$12.90 ¥86.3

-32.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 ¥13.65

$2.24 ¥15.00

-8.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ¥8.41

$1.66 ¥11.13

-24.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.03

$2.02 ¥13.54

-10.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.19

$1.66 ¥11.08

-34.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 ¥5.66

$0.77 ¥5.17

10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.93 ¥6.21

-2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ¥6.17

$0.63 ¥4.19

46.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ¥3.46

$0.60 ¥3.99

-13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 ¥25.28

$3.80 ¥25.44

-0.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 ¥91.2

$10.87 ¥72.7

25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ¥6.62

$0.82 ¥5.51

20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 ¥10.09

$1.61 ¥10.76

-6.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.61 ¥4.11

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.07 ¥201

$29.40 ¥197

2.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$2.11 ¥14.11

-16.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.43 ¥2.87

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 ¥59.1

$9.06 ¥60.6

-2.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.33 ¥8.89

-1.50%

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

$19.3K ¥128.9K

$19.0K ¥127.2K

1.32%

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

$16.9K ¥112.7K

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-9.92%

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

$54.3 ¥363

$57.8 ¥387

-6.09%

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

$7.81 ¥52.2

$8.09 ¥54.1

-3.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.25 ¥48.45

$10.48 ¥70.0

-30.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.11 ¥195

$65.7 ¥439

-55.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.83 ¥226

$17.82 ¥119

89.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.85 ¥39.10

$8.95 ¥59.9

-34.64%

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

$1,486 ¥9,932

$1,414 ¥9,451

5.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K ¥150.0K

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-19.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.38 ¥290

$54.0 ¥361

-19.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.47 ¥231

$37.09 ¥248

-7.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 ¥442

$74.3 ¥496

-11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.2 ¥576

$106 ¥706

-18.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 ¥3,446

$1,055 ¥7,056

-51.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 ¥1,981

$585 ¥3,910

-49.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 ¥7,382

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-55.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 ¥3,792

$1,232 ¥8,240

-53.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,121 ¥34.2K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-63.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,172 ¥21.2K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-49.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,432 ¥9,573

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-16.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

3.36

1.79%

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

Last update for Nanjing: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nanjing

$296 35%

Shanghai

$585 47% 97.3% $288

Groceries & Markets

Nanjing

$204 24.1%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 15.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Nanjing

$104 12.2%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 17.7% $18

Eating Out

Nanjing

$98 11.5%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 8.6% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanjing

$69 8.2%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 10.1% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Nanjing

$41 4.8%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 105% $43

Getting Around

Nanjing

$35 4.1%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 3.5% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Nanjing and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Nanjing vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $235 per month, with Nanjing cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Nanjing

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

Same time as Nanjing

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,314,685

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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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

Nanjing vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Shanghai. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $515 in Nanjing versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nanjing – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $847 per month in Nanjing versus $1,244 in Shanghai – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $847 in Nanjing versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Nanjing gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.