Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Narita and Shanghai

For one person, living costs are similar in Narita and in Shanghai: $1,198 and $1,244 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Narita
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Narita Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

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Narita

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,198

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,198 in Narita versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Narita $1,198
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,862 in Narita versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Narita $1,862
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,527 in Narita versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Narita $2,527
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Narita costs roughly 4% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Narita 11% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 ¥904

$4.56 ¥30.47

25.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.53 ¥6,403

$30.21 ¥202

34.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.32 ¥682

$5.25 ¥35.13

-17.71%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥486

$3.28 ¥21.94

-6.10%

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

$0.74 ¥117

$0.57 ¥3.84

29.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ¥126

$0.36 ¥2.39

122.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 ¥330

$1.23 ¥8.23

69.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ¥489

$2.27 ¥15.18

36.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 ¥203

$1.84 ¥12.30

-29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ¥275

$1.96 ¥13.08

-11.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 ¥567

$1.03 ¥6.87

248.54%

Eggs

$2.01 ¥317

$1.67 ¥11.16

20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 ¥1,628

$16.96 ¥113

-39.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 ¥929

$3.19 ¥21.33

84.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.64 ¥2,312

$12.90 ¥86.3

13.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 ¥909

$2.24 ¥15.00

156.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 ¥423

$1.66 ¥11.13

61.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 ¥455

$2.02 ¥13.54

42.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 ¥673

$1.66 ¥11.08

156.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 ¥398

$0.77 ¥5.17

227.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ¥399

$0.93 ¥6.21

172.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ¥203

$0.63 ¥4.19

103.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥125

$0.60 ¥3.99

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 ¥606

$3.80 ¥25.44

0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.12 ¥968

$10.87 ¥72.7

-43.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ¥275

$0.82 ¥5.51

112.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 ¥328

$1.61 ¥10.76

29.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ¥229

$0.61 ¥4.11

137.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 ¥9,458

$29.40 ¥197

103.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ¥500

$2.11 ¥14.11

50.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ¥257

$0.43 ¥2.87

276.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.39 ¥3,221

$9.06 ¥60.6

125.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥165

$1.33 ¥8.89

-21.80%

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

$21.2K ¥3.4M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

11.55%

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

$18.6K ¥2.9M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

-0.77%

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

$134 ¥21.1K

$57.8 ¥387

131.50%

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

$24.48 ¥3,867

$8.09 ¥54.1

202.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.93 ¥4,413

$10.48 ¥70.0

166.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ¥8,250

$65.7 ¥439

-20.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 ¥1,786

$8.95 ¥59.9

26.37%

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

$631 ¥99.7K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-55.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K ¥2.4M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-46.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ¥10.0K

$54.0 ¥361

17.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.27 ¥5,888

$37.09 ¥248

0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 ¥9,657

$74.3 ¥496

-17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 ¥15.9K

$106 ¥706

-4.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ¥85.5K

$1,055 ¥7,056

-48.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 ¥53.1K

$585 ¥3,910

-42.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 ¥157.3K

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-59.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 ¥100.0K

$1,232 ¥8,240

-48.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,458 ¥704.3K

$13.9K ¥93.1K

-67.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,527 ¥241.3K

$6,253 ¥41.8K

-75.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,280 ¥202.2K

$1,711 ¥11.4K

-25.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.64

3.36

-21.43%

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

Last update for Narita: October 11, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Narita

$336 28.1%

Shanghai

$585 47% 74% $249

Groceries & Markets

Narita

$287 24%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 18.2% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Narita

$186 15.6%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 59% $110

Eating Out

Narita

$118 9.9%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 10.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Narita

$118 9.9%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 3.3% $3.9

Getting Around

Narita

$77 6.4%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 53.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Narita

$75 6.3%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 11.7% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Narita and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 34% 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: $41.00 in Narita vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $235 per month, with Shanghai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Narita

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

1 h behind Narita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

131,613

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇵 Japanese Yen (¥)

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to JPY in detail →

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Between locations

Narita Shanghai 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Narita
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

Narita vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Narita is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and leisure. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% 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: $541 in Narita versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Narita runs roughly 104% less than in Shanghai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $631 in Narita versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,198 in Narita versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Narita but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Narita 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.

Safety-wise, Narita and Shanghai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Narita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.