Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Putian and Shanghai

For one person, living is cheaper in Putian: $518 a month against $1,256 in Shanghai, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Putian
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Putian Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Shanghai
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Shanghai Living Index

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Putian

🇨🇳 China

$518

/mo nomad

Shanghai

🇨🇳 China

$1,256

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $518 in Putian versus $1,256 in Shanghai.

Putian $518
Shanghai $1,256

Estimated couple costs with rent: $854 in Putian versus $1,999 in Shanghai.

Putian $854
Shanghai $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,190 in Putian versus $2,743 in Shanghai.

Putian $1,190
Shanghai $2,743

Living in Putian costs roughly 59% less than in Shanghai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Putian 62% lower, Shanghai 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.21 ¥14.79

$4.45 ¥29.78

-50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.26 ¥156

$30.29 ¥203

-23.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 ¥34.57

$5.09 ¥34.01

1.57%

Cappuccino

$2.44 ¥16.32

$3.43 ¥22.96

-28.86%

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

$0.43 ¥2.88

$0.62 ¥4.15

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ¥1.92

$0.39 ¥2.58

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.16

$1.23 ¥8.25

-37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ¥19.58

$2.21 ¥14.81

32.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$1.85 ¥12.37

-20.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 ¥15.07

$1.95 ¥13.02

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$1.00 ¥6.67

-7.00%

Eggs

$1.58 ¥10.58

$1.71 ¥11.43

-7.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 ¥78.4

$17.47 ¥117

-32.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.43 ¥16.22

$3.24 ¥21.66

-25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 ¥81.4

$12.99 ¥86.8

-6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 ¥17.03

$2.24 ¥14.98

13.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.49

$1.68 ¥11.25

-15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 ¥11.34

$1.95 ¥13.03

-12.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ¥13.25

$1.73 ¥11.60

14.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.79

$0.76 ¥5.10

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 ¥11.86

$0.92 ¥6.15

92.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ¥6.19

$0.66 ¥4.41

40.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.36

$0.60 ¥4.00

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.31

$3.69 ¥24.65

-17.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 ¥74.8

$10.92 ¥73.0

2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥5.58

$0.87 ¥5.85

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.44

$1.63 ¥10.87

4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ¥4.92

$0.62 ¥4.13

19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.38 ¥150

$30.38 ¥203

-26.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 ¥10.16

$2.06 ¥13.79

-26.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 ¥1.94

$0.46 ¥3.08

-36.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.94

$8.84 ¥59.1

-20.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.76

$1.33 ¥8.86

-1.50%

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

$19.4K ¥129.8K

$19.3K ¥128.7K

0.83%

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

$17.8K ¥118.8K

$18.2K ¥122.0K

-2.61%

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

$44.03 ¥294

$57.1 ¥382

-22.90%

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

$8.87 ¥59.3

$8.07 ¥53.9

9.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.55 ¥70.6

$10.70 ¥71.5

-1.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 ¥432

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.29 ¥116

Cinema Ticket

$10.08 ¥67.4

$9.05 ¥60.5

11.38%

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

$492 ¥3,286

$1,441 ¥9,638

-65.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K ¥163.6K

$28.2K ¥188.4K

-13.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.10 ¥261

$53.5 ¥358

-26.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ¥195

$37.05 ¥248

-21.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 ¥691

$77.0 ¥515

34.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.7 ¥573

$104 ¥694

-17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ¥6,841

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$594 ¥3,971

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 ¥17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,213 ¥8,107

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 ¥17.6K

$13.5K ¥90.4K

-80.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,115 ¥7,452

$6,247 ¥41.8K

-82.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 ¥3,211

$1,699 ¥11.4K

-71.74%

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 Putian: October 20, 2026

Last update for Shanghai: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Putian

$215 41.6%

Shanghai

$238 18.9% 10.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Putian

$116 22.4%

Shanghai

$122 9.7% 5.5% $6.4

Eating Out

Putian

$75 14.5%

Shanghai

$107 8.5% 42.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Putian

$63 12.3%

Shanghai

$76 6% 19.6% $12

Getting Around

Putian

$28 5.5%

Shanghai

$37 3% 31.5% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Putian

$20 * 3.9%

Shanghai

$83 6.6% 310% $63

Accommodation & Living

Putian

- * 0%

Shanghai

$594 47.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Shanghai pays 254% 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: $23.00 in Putian vs $30.00 in Shanghai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $238 per month, with Putian cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Putian

🇨🇳 Shanghai

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

Same time as Putian

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,954,000

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

Putian Shanghai 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Putian
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

Putian vs Shanghai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putian is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 254% 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.

Childcare runs $492 in Putian versus $1,441 in Shanghai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Shanghai. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $518 in Putian versus $1,256 in Shanghai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Putian but tight or insufficient in Shanghai. The gap between the two cities makes Putian 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 Putian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Shanghai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.