Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pathein and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathein: $1,021 a month against $1,244 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Shanghai outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

41

Cost of Living Index in Pathein
Learn more

Pathein Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
Learn more

Shanghai Living Index

Jump to prices

Pathein

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$1,021

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,021 in Pathein versus $1,244 in Shanghai.

Pathein $1,021
Shanghai $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,830 in Pathein versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Pathein $1,830
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,639 in Pathein versus $2,755 in Shanghai.

Pathein $2,639
Shanghai $2,755

Living in Pathein costs roughly 18% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pathein 24% lower, Shanghai 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.48 MMK 3,095

$4.56 ¥30.47

-67.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.79 MMK 41.4K

$30.21 ¥202

-34.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 MMK 16.7K

$5.25 ¥35.13

51.81%

Cappuccino

$1.47 MMK 3,082

$3.28 ¥21.94

-55.18%

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

$0.52 MMK 1,098

$0.57 ¥3.84

-8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 MMK 1,078

$0.36 ¥2.39

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 MMK 3,108

$1.23 ¥8.23

20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MMK 2,048

$2.27 ¥15.18

-56.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ¥12.30

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 MMK 3,047

$1.96 ¥13.08

-25.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.98 MMK 6,249

$1.03 ¥6.87

189.32%

Eggs

$2.47 MMK 5,165

$1.67 ¥11.16

47.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$40.74 MMK 85.3K

$16.96 ¥113

140.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MMK 12.4K

$3.19 ¥21.33

85.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.06 MMK 16.9K

$12.90 ¥86.3

-37.52%

Apples (1kg)

$10.02 MMK 21.0K

$2.24 ¥15.00

347.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ¥11.13

Oranges (1kg)

$10.08 MMK 21.1K

$2.02 ¥13.54

399.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 MMK 10.3K

$1.66 ¥11.08

195.78%

Potato (1kg)

$4.07 MMK 8,530

$0.77 ¥5.17

428.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MMK 4,217

$0.93 ¥6.21

116.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 MMK 1,098

$0.63 ¥4.19

-17.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥3.99

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 MMK 6,185

$3.80 ¥25.44

-22.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.03 MMK 41.9K

$10.87 ¥72.7

84.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 MMK 3,094

$0.82 ¥5.51

80.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 MMK 4,152

$1.61 ¥10.76

22.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 ¥4.11

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.40 ¥197

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 ¥14.11

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 MMK 2,145

$0.43 ¥2.87

137.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MMK 6,222

$9.06 ¥60.6

-67.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 MMK 4,161

$1.33 ¥8.89

49.62%

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

$32.5K MMK 68.0M

$19.0K ¥127.2K

70.80%

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

$31.4K MMK 65.7M

$18.7K ¥125.1K

67.86%

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

$57.8 ¥387

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

$20.30 MMK 42.5K

$8.09 ¥54.1

150.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.18 MMK 21.3K

$10.48 ¥70.0

-2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$151 MMK 316.3K

$65.7 ¥439

129.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.82 ¥119

Cinema Ticket

$2.05 MMK 4,298

$8.95 ¥59.9

-77.09%

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

$396 MMK 829.8K

$1,414 ¥9,451

-71.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,748 MMK 9.9M

$27.9K ¥186.2K

-82.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.34 MMK 42.6K

$54.0 ¥361

-62.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.75 MMK 30.9K

$37.09 ¥248

-60.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.03 MMK 102.7K

$74.3 ¥496

-33.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.1 MMK 125.8K

$106 ¥706

-43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MMK 840.1K

$1,055 ¥7,056

-61.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 MMK 631.0K

$585 ¥3,910

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 MMK 2.3M

$2,485 ¥16.6K

-56.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$984 MMK 2.1M

$1,232 ¥8,240

-20.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.9K ¥93.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,253 ¥41.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,711 ¥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 Pathein: 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

Pathein

$397 * 38.9%

Shanghai

$235 18.9% 40.9% $162

Accommodation & Living

Pathein

$301 29.5%

Shanghai

$585 47% 94% $283

Sport & Entertainment

Pathein

$155 15.2%

Shanghai

$84 6.7% 46.1% $72

Eating Out

Pathein

$67 6.6%

Shanghai

$106 8.5% 58.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Pathein

$65 6.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.8% 87.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pathein

$30 * 3%

Shanghai

$76 6.1% 151% $46

Getting Around

Pathein

$5.1 * 0.5%

Shanghai

$36 2.9% 605% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Pathein and $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Pathein vs $30.00 in Shanghai. Groceries flip the comparison at $397 vs $235, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇲 Pathein

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

1 h 30 min ahead of Pathein

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

315,600

24,870,895

💱 Currency

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to MMK – Myanmar Kyat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇲 Myanmar Kyat (K)

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,354 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.25 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to MMK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pathein Shanghai 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pathein
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

Pathein vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pathein and Shanghai differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,021 vs $1,244 including rent). Pathein is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,532 in Pathein and $1,865 in Shanghai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $401 in Pathein versus $1,055 in Shanghai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $396 in Pathein versus $1,414 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pathein – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $30.00 in Shanghai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,021 in Pathein versus $1,244 in Shanghai, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pathein but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Pathein 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 Pathein gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.